Panel depicting the arms of Nicolaas Ruterius, Bishop of Arras. Originally in the Charterhouse, Louvain. Made in Brabant, Netherlands, about 1520-5.

In the lower centre of the panel is a shield showing the arms of Ruterius as Bishop of Arras:
Quarterly, 1& 4: azure, 3 vine leaves or; 2 & 3: or, two crosiers addorsed in pale argent, border of rats sable. This is executed in brown/black pigment and silver stain with the quarters 1 and 4 on coloured glass.
The shield is surmounted by a bishop's mitre and emerging from the top is the head of an episcopal staff; this is flanked by the initials 'N' 'R'. Below the shield is a scroll with an inscription. The whole is encased in a round archway and painted in brown/black pigment and silver stain.

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 of the surrounding areas and local residents.

Records indicate that the cloister glazing was paid for by members of the Gillis family from Louvain. The glazier was Hendrik van Diependale and his son Jan. The work probably began early in the 16th century and carried on to the middle of the century.

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. Panels depicting saints and donors would have accompanied these scenes, probably occupying the lowest registers of the windows. Additionally, prophets announcing these events would have been included in the upper portions of the windows.

Nicholass Ruterius (Nicolas de Ruistre) was Bishop of Arras from 1501 until his death in 1509. He set up a college for pupils from Arras in the University of Louvain. He also endowed a cell at the south-west corner of the Great Cloister of the Charterhouse of Louvain and paid for four windows adjacent to the cell. These were dedicated to the life of his name saint, St Nicholas. His shield, which formed part of this decorative scheme, shows the three vine leaves of his family quartered with the arms of the bishopric of Arras. This consists of two crosiers addorsed with running rats in bordure. It has a crest of mitre and crosier flanked by his initials. Below was his motto.

Nicolaas Ruterius donated eight panels for the cloister glazing scheme. This panel, one with a long inscription that seems not to have survived, and six panels depicting scenes from the life of his patron saint, St. Nicholas. One of those panels, depicting the First Miracle of St Nicholas, is also in the museum (213-1908). These eight panels originally occupied two windows in the cloister wall opposite the cell built and endowed by Nicolass in 1507.

From the Charterhouse of Louvain

This panel depicts the arms of Nicolaas Ruterius, who was Bishop of Arras from 1501 until his death in 1509. He was a dynamic religious leader and gave generously to educational institutions and to the church. He set up a college for pupils from Arras in the University of Louvain. He also endowed (made permanent provision for) a cell in the south-west corner of the Great Cloister of the Charterhouse of Louvain, and left money in his will to pay for four windows opposite the cell.

The windows were composed of panels depicting scenes from the life of his patron saint, St Nicholas. One of these is also in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Museum number: 213-1908). This panel with his coat of arms formed part of the decorative scheme. It shows the three vine leaves of his family quartered with the arms of the bishopric of Arras.

The Charterhouse in Louvain, a monastery of the Carthusian Order, was founded at the end of the 15th century by the Dukes of Burgundy. It was financed with donations from ducal family members, as well as from clerics of the surrounding areas, such as Nicolaas Ruterius, and from local residents.

2633-1855