St Catherine
Fragment
second half 15th century (made)
second half 15th century (made)
| Place of origin |
In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound would turn yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition.
This fragment shows the head of a woman. Behind her head are the remains of a wheel painted on to the back of the glass with yellow (silver) stain. This indicates that the woman is St Catherine whose emblem was the wheel. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church that depicted St Catherine or a scene from her life.
The religious conflicts that affected the British Isles in the 16th and 17th centuries had a devastating effect upon the decorative arts and furnishings of the Christian church. Much of the medieval stained glass in churches and cathedrals was damaged and only survives in a fragmentary state.
This fragment shows the head of a woman. Behind her head are the remains of a wheel painted on to the back of the glass with yellow (silver) stain. This indicates that the woman is St Catherine whose emblem was the wheel. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church that depicted St Catherine or a scene from her life.
The religious conflicts that affected the British Isles in the 16th and 17th centuries had a devastating effect upon the decorative arts and furnishings of the Christian church. Much of the medieval stained glass in churches and cathedrals was damaged and only survives in a fragmentary state.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St Catherine |
| Materials and techniques | Stained glass: Clear glass with painted details in brown and in yellow (silver) stain |
| Brief description | Fragment of clear glass with painted details in brown and in yellow (silver) stain. Possibly depicting the head of Saint Catherine. English, second half 15th century |
| Physical description | Stained glass fragment depicting part of a head with a halo, black with yellow stain |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mr. Grosvenor Thomas |
| Historical context | In spite of England's rich tradition of stained glass in the Middle Ages, a great deal was destroyed in the religious conflicts of the 16th and 17th centuries. As a result, much of the glass from this time survives only in a fragmentary state. In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound turns yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition. This fragment shows the head of a woman. Behind her head are the remains of a wheel painted on to the back of the glass with yellow (silver) stain. This indicates that the woman is St Catherine whose emblem was the wheel. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church that depicted St Catherine or a scene from her life. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound would turn yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition. This fragment shows the head of a woman. Behind her head are the remains of a wheel painted on to the back of the glass with yellow (silver) stain. This indicates that the woman is St Catherine whose emblem was the wheel. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church that depicted St Catherine or a scene from her life. The religious conflicts that affected the British Isles in the 16th and 17th centuries had a devastating effect upon the decorative arts and furnishings of the Christian church. Much of the medieval stained glass in churches and cathedrals was damaged and only survives in a fragmentary state. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.398-1915 |
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| Record created | November 5, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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