Institution of Marriage
Panel
ca. 1522 (made)
ca. 1522 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This window came from the cloisters of the Premonstratensian Abbey of Steinfeld, near Cologne in Germany. The windows were created and installed in the first half of the 16th century. They were paid for by local clerics and some of these donors were depicted in panels which occupied the lowest parts of the cloister windows.
This panel depicts God joining Adam and Eve in Marriage. In the background are scenes showing Eve picking fruit from the forbidden tree and an angel expelling them from paradise. These panels were originally part of a large cycle of stained glass running around the cloister. Scenes from biblical history, such as Adam and Eve, are combined with ones showing the history of the abbey and the donors of the panels. The creation of the glass was a huge undertaking. Most of the windows were probably done by the master glass painter Gerhard Remisch and his workshop. We know the layout of the windows of the cloister glazing at Steinfeld from an illustrated manuscript that was made in 1632 and was housed at Trier. Another manuscript showing the arrangement of the windows is in the state archives in Dusseldorf. This dates from 1719.
During the Revolutionary struggles in France and the subsequent religious upheavals under Napoleon, many monastic institutions on the continent were 'secularised' and their buildings destroyed. The abbey of Steinfeld was closed down in 1802 but prior to that in 1785 the stained glass windows of the cloister had been taken down. It is believed that they were purchased, probably at the time of the closure in 1802, by John Christopher Hampp of Norwich. Hampp sold the Steinfeld panels to various churches and to private collections. Many of these were purchased by the collector, Lord Brownlow, who had them installed in his new chapel at Ashridge Park in Hertfordshire between 1811 and 1831.
In 1928 the contents of Ashridge Park were sold at auction and a private collector purchased the stained glass and gave it to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The majority of the windows appear to be from the workshop of the glass painter Gerhard Remisch.
This panel depicts God joining Adam and Eve in Marriage. In the background are scenes showing Eve picking fruit from the forbidden tree and an angel expelling them from paradise. These panels were originally part of a large cycle of stained glass running around the cloister. Scenes from biblical history, such as Adam and Eve, are combined with ones showing the history of the abbey and the donors of the panels. The creation of the glass was a huge undertaking. Most of the windows were probably done by the master glass painter Gerhard Remisch and his workshop. We know the layout of the windows of the cloister glazing at Steinfeld from an illustrated manuscript that was made in 1632 and was housed at Trier. Another manuscript showing the arrangement of the windows is in the state archives in Dusseldorf. This dates from 1719.
During the Revolutionary struggles in France and the subsequent religious upheavals under Napoleon, many monastic institutions on the continent were 'secularised' and their buildings destroyed. The abbey of Steinfeld was closed down in 1802 but prior to that in 1785 the stained glass windows of the cloister had been taken down. It is believed that they were purchased, probably at the time of the closure in 1802, by John Christopher Hampp of Norwich. Hampp sold the Steinfeld panels to various churches and to private collections. Many of these were purchased by the collector, Lord Brownlow, who had them installed in his new chapel at Ashridge Park in Hertfordshire between 1811 and 1831.
In 1928 the contents of Ashridge Park were sold at auction and a private collector purchased the stained glass and gave it to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The majority of the windows appear to be from the workshop of the glass painter Gerhard Remisch.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Stained glass |
| Brief description | Clear and coloured glass panel painted with brown/black pigment and silver (yellow) stain. Depicting the Institution of Marriage and the Fall and the Expulsion. Originally in the cloister of Steinfeld Abbey. Made in the workshop of Everhard Rensig or Gerhard Remsich. German (Upper Rhine), ca. 1522 |
| Physical description | Stained glass panel depicting the Institution of Marriage. In the background the Fall and the Expulsion. Halo of the Almighty is inscribed 'CRESCITE ET MULTIPLICAMI ET REP...'. Purple, red, pale blue, green, red and white glass. Grisaille. Yellow stain. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'CRESCITE ET MULTIPLICAMI ET REP...' (Decoration; Latin; Halo of the Almighty; stained glass) |
| Credit line | Given by E.E. Cook. Esquire. |
| Production | Originally in the cloister of Steinfeld Abbey |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This window came from the cloisters of the Premonstratensian Abbey of Steinfeld, near Cologne in Germany. The windows were created and installed in the first half of the 16th century. They were paid for by local clerics and some of these donors were depicted in panels which occupied the lowest parts of the cloister windows. This panel depicts God joining Adam and Eve in Marriage. In the background are scenes showing Eve picking fruit from the forbidden tree and an angel expelling them from paradise. These panels were originally part of a large cycle of stained glass running around the cloister. Scenes from biblical history, such as Adam and Eve, are combined with ones showing the history of the abbey and the donors of the panels. The creation of the glass was a huge undertaking. Most of the windows were probably done by the master glass painter Gerhard Remisch and his workshop. We know the layout of the windows of the cloister glazing at Steinfeld from an illustrated manuscript that was made in 1632 and was housed at Trier. Another manuscript showing the arrangement of the windows is in the state archives in Dusseldorf. This dates from 1719. During the Revolutionary struggles in France and the subsequent religious upheavals under Napoleon, many monastic institutions on the continent were 'secularised' and their buildings destroyed. The abbey of Steinfeld was closed down in 1802 but prior to that in 1785 the stained glass windows of the cloister had been taken down. It is believed that they were purchased, probably at the time of the closure in 1802, by John Christopher Hampp of Norwich. Hampp sold the Steinfeld panels to various churches and to private collections. Many of these were purchased by the collector, Lord Brownlow, who had them installed in his new chapel at Ashridge Park in Hertfordshire between 1811 and 1831. In 1928 the contents of Ashridge Park were sold at auction and a private collector purchased the stained glass and gave it to the Victoria & Albert Museum. The majority of the windows appear to be from the workshop of the glass painter Gerhard Remisch. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.226-1928 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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