This panel was originally paired with one showing the donor's wife, which is now in Earsham Church in Norfolk. The wife's panel includes her coat of arms, which show that she was related to the Louvain families of Pinnock and Absoloens. Both these families had contributed financially to the Charterhouse in Louvain.
The Charterhouse in Louvain, a monastery of the Carthusian Order, was founded at the end of the 15th century by the Dukes of Burgundy. Records indicate that the glazing in the church and cloister was carried out from about 1500 by Hendrik van Diependale of Louvain. He died in 1509 and his son Jan carried on the work.
A 19th-century drawing of the cloister windows indicates that there were 80 windows of two lights each, surmounted by a single quatrefoil-shaped panel. Each window seems to have been composed of prophet panels surmounting narrative ones.
The theme of the cloister glazing centred on the Fall and Redemption of humankind through the life and death of Christ. New Testament scenes would have been paired with the Old Testament ones that prefigured them. Prophets announcing these events would have been included in the upper portions of the windows.
Panels depicting saints and donors would have accompanied these scenes, probably in the lowest registers of the windows. The donor depicted in this panel kneels before a statue of St Mary Magdalene, who was the patron saint of the monastery.
Physical description
Panel. Knight of the Bernemi court family praying by a statue of the Magdalen.
Place of Origin
Flemish, Belgium (made)
Date
ca. 1500 (made)
Artist/maker
Diependale, Hendrik van (possibly, maker)
Diependale, Jan van (possibly, maker)
Materials and Techniques
Stained glass
Dimensions
Height: 70.5 cm, Width: 46 cm
Object history note
From the Great Cloister of the Charterhouse at Louvain
Historical context note
This panel was originally paired with one showing the donor's wife which is now in Earsham Church in Norfolk. The wife's panel includes her coat of arms which show that she was related to the Louvain families Pinnock and Absoloens. Both of these families had contributed financially to the Charterhouse in Louvain.
The Charterhouse in Louvain was a monastery of the Carthusian Order founded at the end of the 15th century by the Dukes of Burgundy. It was financed with donations from the ducal family members as well as from clerics and residents of the surrounding areas.
Records indicate that the glazing in the Charterhouse and its cloister was carried out from about 1500 by the glazier Hendrik van Diependale of Louvain. He died in 1509 and his son Jan carried on the work.
A 19th century drawing of the cloister windows indicates that there were 80 windows of two lights each, surmounted by a single quatrefoil-shaped panel. The composition of each window seems to be three prophet panels surmounting four narrative panels. If this is correct, then there would originally have been 210 prophet panels and 320 narrative panels in the cloister glazing.
The theme of the cloister glazing centred on the Fall and Redemption of Mankind through the life and death of Christ. There would have been scenes from the New Testament paired with their Old Testament prefigurements. Prophets announcing these events would have been included in the upper portions of the windows.
Panels depicting saints and donors would have accompanied these scenes, probably occupying the lowest registers of the windows. The donor depicted in this panel kneels before a statue of St. Mary Magdalene. She was the patron saint of the monastery.
Descriptive line
Panel of clear and coloured glass with painted details and yellow (silver) stain depicting a male donor kneeling before an image of St. Mary Magdalene. Made in the Netherlands in Louvain, about 1505-10.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Williamson, Paul. Medieval and Renaissance Stained Glass in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 2003. ISBN 1851774041
Jessie McNab, A Guide To Flemish Renaissance Stained Glass From The Great Cloister Of The Carthusian Monastery In Louvain Belgium With Illustrations, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Belgium, 1982
N.R.A. Vroom 'An unknown design for a stained glass window in the Church of St. Lieven, at Zierikzee', Oud Holland, LIX (1942)
Hilary Wayment, 'The Master of the Mass of Saint Gregory Roundel', Oud Holland, vol.103 (1989)
Labels and date
A KNEELING DONOR BEFORE A STATUE OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE
This panel was originally paired with one of the donor's wife, now in Earsham Church in Norfolk, and came originally from the Great Cloister of the Charterhouse at Louvain (Leuven). Although the couple has not so far been identified, the wife's coat of arms includes variants of the arms of Pinnock and Absoloens, well-known families of Louvain and donors of two cells at the Charterhouse. Mary Magdalene was the patron saint of the Charterhouse.
Netherlands (Louvain), about 1505-10; attributed to Hendrik or Jan van Diependale
Museum no. 6914-1860 [(PW) 2003]
Production Note
From the Charterhouse cloister at Louvain.
Materials
Stained glass
Subjects depicted
Foliage; Dog; Armour; Statue; Mary Magdalene (Saint); Helmet; Fleur-de-lys; Knight; Plume
Categories
Religion; Christianity; Stained Glass
Collection code
CER
