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Malcho Papo

Stained Glass Design
1607 (made)
Artist/Maker
Tobias Stimmer (designer)
Place of origin
Schaffhausen (made)

This stained glass design is of St. Peter pulling the Key of Heaven from the hands of an unworthy Pope. It is after a print by the wood-engraver Tobias Stimmer (1539-1584) illustrating Johann Fischart's broadsheet known as Malcho Papo, published in 1577. It was a Protestant broadsheet of the type that contains images of Protestant Reformation propaganda critical of the practices of the Catholic Church at that period. The glass painter, Hans Rudolf Lando (1584-1646) from Bern, Switzerland, signed this stained glass design which was in his collection and probably used as a model in his glass painting workshop. His signature can be seen in the bottom right corner of the painted frame.


Object details

Categories
Christianity
Designs
Stained Glass
Religion
Propaganda
Drawings
Heraldry
Object type
Stained glass design
Titles
  • Malcho Papo (assigned by artist)
  • St. Peter wresting the key of heaven from the hands of an unworthy Pope (popular title)
Materials and techniques
pen and wash
Ink
Wash
Paper
Pen and Wash
Drawing
Painting
Wash Technique
Drawing
Brief description
Unknown after Tobias Stimmer. St. Peter wresting the key of heaven from the hands of an unworthy Pope. Swiss, late 16th century
Physical description
Design for stained glass. St. Peter wresting the key of heaven from the hands of a Pope, a devil holding a key and pastoral staff beside the Pope.
Dimensions
  • Height: 24.6cm
  • Width: 19.3cm
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'C / MALHO PAPO / 1607' (In handwriting in pen and dark brown ink along the top of the painted frame within the design. The inscription is in German.)
    Translation
    Here dear Christ here dost Thou see clearly how Peter and his deputy, the Pope who calls himself the governor, are contending together. Give him a blow on his three decker hat!
  • 'RHLando / 1607' (In handwriting in pen and brown ink at bottom left of painted frame within design. This is the signature of Hans Rudolf Lando, stained glass painter, who collected designs for stained glass by a variety of artists. He marked them with his signature as a collector's mark. Numerous designs from his collection, with dates from 1605, are in the Wysz collection at the Historisches Museum in Berne.)
  • 'Sh14' (In handwriting in pen and pale brown ink at the bottom right corner of a right-angled frame enclosing the right side of the design.)
  • 'Dem Bapst und sinem mitgesellen Dient der Schlüssel zu der Hellen Sanndt petter und den Apostlen gemein Dient der Schlüssel zum Himmelheim' (In handwriting, in pen and dark brown ink along the bottom of the design. The inscription is in German.)
    Translation
    The Pope and his assistant have the key to hell; St. Peter and the Apostles have the key to Heaven.
Credit line
Purchased under the Bequest of Captain H. B. Murray.
Object history
Michael Kauffmann catalogued this design as 'a reversed copy of a woodcut by Tobias Stimmer which headed a Protestant broadsheet. The text was probably by Johann Fishart who invented the title, a conflation of Malchus and Papa. Malchus was the servant of the high priest who cut off St. Peter's ear before the Betrayal (John 18.10). Papa, the Pope is, therefore, assimilated to the servant of Christ's murderer. St. Peter is barefoot, and simply dressed; the Pope, abetted by the devil, is in full regalia.' Protestant pamphlets and broadsheets contain startling images of propaganda that remained current. This stained glass design was made thirty years after Tobias Stimmer's woodcut of the same subject.
Production
Michael Kauffmann catalogued this design as 'after Tobias Stimmer (1539-84)'. He also catalogued it as 'ANON 1607', and stated that it bears the 'collector's mark of H. R. Lando (1584-1646), a glass painter', (see References tab).

Attribution note: This design was probably used as a model in Hans Rudolf Lando's glass painting workshop because it bears his collector's mark.
Subjects depicted
Key to Heaven
St. Peter
The Reformation
Summary
This stained glass design is of St. Peter pulling the Key of Heaven from the hands of an unworthy Pope. It is after a print by the wood-engraver Tobias Stimmer (1539-1584) illustrating Johann Fischart's broadsheet known as Malcho Papo, published in 1577. It was a Protestant broadsheet of the type that contains images of Protestant Reformation propaganda critical of the practices of the Catholic Church at that period. The glass painter, Hans Rudolf Lando (1584-1646) from Bern, Switzerland, signed this stained glass design which was in his collection and probably used as a model in his glass painting workshop. His signature can be seen in the bottom right corner of the painted frame.
Bibliographic references
  • Thieme-Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Liepzig: Veb. E. A. Seeman Verlag, 1907, p.298.
  • Lehmann, Hans. Zur geschichte der glasmalerei in der Schweiz. Leipzig: H. Haessel Verlag, 1925, p.88.
  • Kauffmann, Michael. Swiss Stained Glass Designs of the Reformation. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1986, no.24.
  • Lugt, Frits. Les Marques de Collections de Dessins et d'Estampes. Amsterdam: Vereenigde Drukkerijen, 1921, no.1658.
  • Schneider, Jenny. 'Vorlagen fur das schweizerische Kunstgewerbe', in Zeitschrift fur schweizerische Archaeologie und Kunstgeschichte . vol. 16, 1956, pl.68, fig.12.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.3689-1923

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Record createdOctober 20, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117750/malcho-papo-stained-glass-design-tobias-stimmer/
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