This small stained-glass panel was probably ordered from the workshop of Veit Hirschvogel in Nuremberg by Conrad IV Haller von Hallerstein, who owned the 'House of the Golden Shield'' on the Schildgasse in that city. The panel was located in the private chapel of the house with some others, including an Adoration of the Magi. We know this from a watercolour made of the windows in the chapel in 1854.
The story of the birth of Christ is found in the Gospels of the New Testament. From a very early date in Christian history, artists took various elements from these Gospels to form the image of the Nativity that is so familiar to us today.
The earliest images show Mary lying down, sometimes in what appears to be a cave, with the Christ Child swaddled in a crib by her side. Joseph appears in the background. In the later Middle Ages this type of representation began to change to the form we see depicted in this panel.
Here the Virgin Mary and Joseph kneel in adoration of the Christ Child, who lies on the ground between them. This change in the way that artists portrayed the Nativity is often attributed to the visions experienced by a Swedish woman, Bridget (about 1304-73). She recorded them in a book known as 'Revelations'. One of her visions portrayed the Nativity of Christ as we see it here.
Place of Origin
Nuremberg, Germany (made)
Date
ca. 1500-1510 (made)
Artist/maker
Hirschvogel, Veit (the elder) (workshop of, maker)
Materials and Techniques
Stained glass
Dimensions
Height: 39.4 cm, Width: 26.7 cm
Object history note
This small stained glass panel was probably commissioned by Conrad IV Haller von Hallerstein who owned the 'House of the Golden Shield'', on the Schildgasse in Nuremberg. The panel was located in the private chapel of the house along with others such as an 'Adoration of the Magi'. This is known from a watercolour made of the windows in the chapel in 1854.
The panel was purchased from the firm of Abraham Pickert of Nuremberg.
Historical context note
Veit Hirschvogel (1461-1525) ran a stained glass workshop and was a noted painter on glass. A painter known only as the 'Meister der Hennebergkopfes' worked in Hirschvogel's workshop.
The story of the birth of Christ is found in the Gospels of the New Testament. From very early on the Christian period, artists took various elements from these Gospels to form the image of the Nativity that is so familiar to us today.
The earliest forms of the representation of the Nativity show Mary lying down, sometimes in what appears to be a cave, with the Christ Child swaddled in a crib by her side. Joseph appears in the background. This type of representation began to change in the later middle ages to the form we see depicted in this panel.
Here we see Virgin Mary and Joseph kneel in adoration of the Christ Child lying on the ground between them. This change is often attributed to the visions experienced by a Swedish woman, Bridget (c.1304-1373). She recorded her visions in a book known as 'Revelations'. In one of these visions she saw the Nativity of Christ and described it as we see here in this panel.
Descriptive line
Clear and coloured glass with painted details and yellow (silver) stain depicting the Nativity. Made in Germany (Nuremberg), c.1500-10.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Williamson, Paul. Medieval and Renaissance Stained Glass in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 2003. ISBN 1851774041
G. Frenzel, 'Entwurf und Aussfuhrung in der Nurnberger Glasmalerei der Durerzeit', Zeitschrift fur Kunstwissenschaft XV, 1961
Scholz, Hartmut, Entwurf und Ausfuhrung. Werkstattpraxis in der Nurnberger Glasmalerei der Durerzeit, CVMA, Deutschland I, Berlin, 1991
abb.279
Labels and date
THE NATIVITY
This panel was probably commissioned by Conrad IV Haller von Hallerstein, who owned the 'House at the Golden Shield' on the Schildgasse in Nuremberg between 1503 and 1534. It was placed in the private chapel there, together with a number of other panels of stained and painted glass, and is shown in a watercolour of 1854, just prior to removal.
Germany (Nuremberg), about 1500-10; Workshop of Veit Hirsvogel the Elder
Museum no. 603-1872 [(PW) 2003]
Production Note
Possibly painted by the Master of the Hennebergkopfes who worked in the workshop of Veit Hirschvogel the Elder (1461-1525).
Subjects depicted
Mary (Virgin Mary); Child; Joseph (of Nazareth, Saint); Jesus Christ
Categories
Religion; Christianity; Stained Glass; Birth
Collection code
CER
