This panel was originally located in the upper lights (openings) of a larger window. These are known as tracery lights.
St John was one of the Twelve Apostles, whom Christ appointed as his special disciples. John was traditionally believed to be the writer of the Fourth Gospel and the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation. After Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension, the Apostles spread throughout the lands of the Roman empire to preach the new faith. The Roman authorities eventually exiled John to the island of Patmos on account of his teachings. Tradition says that it was here that he received the visions from God that he recorded in Revelation. He died an old man, at the end of the 1st century AD.
The saints of the Christian church can often be identified by their ‘attribute’. In this panel St John holds a palm branch and a cup from which a dragon emerges. The story is told in the Golden Legend, an influential compilation of saints’ lives written about 1260. In Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey, the high priest of the pagan cult of the goddess Diana challenged John and gave him poison to drink. But when John made the sign of the cross over the cup, the poison emerged in the form of a serpent or dragon, and fled.
St John bears a scroll on which the Latin words are written: ‘He suffered under Pontius Pilate’. This is a line from the ‘Apostles’ Creed’, a statement of faith in the Christian church. A very early tradition states that the Twelve Apostles gathered together after the Ascension of Christ. The Holy Spirit inspired them to wrie the Apostles’ Creed, each contributing a line.
The Twelve Apostles often formed part of large decorative schemes in the Middle Ages. They are the backbone upon which the Christian faith spread throughout the world.
Physical description
Panel (tracery light with trefoil top). St. John, standing and holding a palm in his left hand, and a gold cup with a winged dragon in his right. Above, a scroll inscribed: PASSUS SUB PONTIO PILATO. Blue, ruby, white and gold.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
Date
15th century (made)
Artist/maker
unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Stained glass
Marks and inscriptions
Passus sub Pontio Pilato He suffered under Pontius Pilate
Dimensions
Height: 20 in, Width: 7.25 in
Object history note
The panel was bought from the collection of Mr. F.E. Sidney in 1937. Sidney had collected stained glass panels and had them inserted into the windows of his house in Hampstead, London.
Historical context note
This panel was originally located in the upper lights (openings) of a larger window. These are known as tracery lights.
St John is one of the Twelve Apostles, appointed by Christ himself as his special disciples and given charge of the spreading of Christ's teachings after his death. John was traditionally believed to be the writer of the Fourth Gospel and the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelations. After the death of Christ and in accordance with his instructions, the Apostles spread throughout the lands of the Roman Empire preaching the emerging new faith. John was eventually exiled by the Roman authorities for his preachings and sent to the island of Patmos. It was here that tradition assigns the visions he received from God which he recorded in the Book of Revelations. He died an old man, probably on Patmos, at the end of the first century.
The saints of the Christian church can often be identified by a device which is known as their 'attribute'. In this panel St John holds a palm branch and a cup from which a dragon emerges. According to the Golden Legend, an influential manuscript of saints' lives compiled in the middle of the 13th century, John was in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey, and was challenged by the pagan High Priest of the cult of the goddess Diana. He was given poison to drink but John made the sign of the cross over the cup and the poison emerged in the form of a serpent or dragon and fled.
St John bears a scroll on which are written the words, translated from Latin, 'He suffered under Pontius Pilate'. This is a line from the 'Apostles' Creed'. This was and still is a statement of faith in the Christian Church. It begins 'I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth…'. A tradition dating back at least to the end of the 4th century, states that the 12 Apostles, gathered together after the death of Christ, were inspired by the Holy Spirit and wrote the Apostles Creed, each contributing a line.
The twelve apostles often formed part of a large decorative schemes in the Middle Ages. They are the backbone upon which the Christian faith was spread throughout the world.
Descriptive line
Panel of clear, coloured and flashed glass with painted details and yellow (silver) stain. Depicting the apostle St John. English, 15th century.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend, trans WG Ryan, Princeton University Press, 1993
Bernard Rackham, 'Stained Glass in the Collection of Mr. F.E. Sidney', Old Furniture, vols. VII-VIII (1929)
C.R. Councer, 'The Medieval Painted Glass of Mersham', Archaeologia Cantiana, vol.XLVIII (1938), pp.81-90
Curt f. Buhler, 'The Apostles and the Creed', Speculum, XVIII (1953), pp.335-339
Labels and date
SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST AND SAINT THOMAS
From tracery lights at the top of a window (together with Museum nos. C.334 and C.335-1937 alongside). Above both figures are scrolls with inscriptions from the Apostles' Creed: Passus sub Pontio Pilato ('Suffered under Pontius Pilate') and Descendit ad in[ferna] ('He descended into Hell').
England, about 1400-50
Museum nos. C.336 and C.337-1937 [(PW) 2003]
Materials
Stained glass
Categories
Religion; Christianity; Stained Glass
Collection code
CER
