Panel
late 17th century or early 18th century (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the latter part of the 17th century there was a vogue in the Lowlands and North Germany for displaying small painted glass panels with images of saints. These panels were decorated simply, painted with no leadworking and the images copied from popular engravings, and so were affordable to a wide range of people. They would be purchased for display in small churches, in the home or in civic buildings such as guildhalls.
This panel has a shield in the lower left which is the personal badge (or 'Housemark') of a professional person who commissioned this panel. The charge (or 'device') at the bottom of the shield could be a 'muehleisen' or 'mill iron' which was something that was set in a millstone to facilitate grinding. This could indicate that the person who commissioned this panel worked in the milling trade.
The figure in this panel is wearing clerical garments and on his head is a mitre, which identifies him as a bishop of the Christian Church. He holds a pastoral staff and a palm branch.
Palm branches had been thrown on the ground in front of Jesus Christ during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what became known as 'Palm Sunday'. In early Christian art, the palm branch became associated with the Christian concept of 'triumphing over death' by the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. It is the emblem of those who suffered and were killed for their belief in the Christian faith. The bishop in this image has not been identified, but he is likely to have been one of the martyred bishops of the early church. The first martyrs, killed during the persecutions against the Christians in the Roman Imperial period, are often depicted with a palm.
This panel has a shield in the lower left which is the personal badge (or 'Housemark') of a professional person who commissioned this panel. The charge (or 'device') at the bottom of the shield could be a 'muehleisen' or 'mill iron' which was something that was set in a millstone to facilitate grinding. This could indicate that the person who commissioned this panel worked in the milling trade.
The figure in this panel is wearing clerical garments and on his head is a mitre, which identifies him as a bishop of the Christian Church. He holds a pastoral staff and a palm branch.
Palm branches had been thrown on the ground in front of Jesus Christ during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what became known as 'Palm Sunday'. In early Christian art, the palm branch became associated with the Christian concept of 'triumphing over death' by the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. It is the emblem of those who suffered and were killed for their belief in the Christian faith. The bishop in this image has not been identified, but he is likely to have been one of the martyred bishops of the early church. The first martyrs, killed during the persecutions against the Christians in the Roman Imperial period, are often depicted with a palm.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Clear glass painted in brown, blue enamel and silver stain |
| Brief description | Clear glass panel painted in brown pigment, blue enamel and yellow (silver) stain. Depicting a bishop holding a crozier and a palm branch. German, late 17th or early 18th century. |
| Physical description | A bearded male figure stands in the centre of this arched panel. He wears a bishop's mitre and holds a pastoral staff and a palm branch. The figure is painted in brown pigment on clear glass. At the base of the panel is a shield with an unidentified housemark. This is painted in brown, blue enamel and yellow stain. The panel has a simple border all round painted in yellow stain. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by J. Pierpont Morgan, Jr |
| Object history | Originally on loan from JP Morgan. |
| Historical context | In the latter part of the 17th century there was a vogue in the Lowlands and North Germany for displaying small painted glass panels with images of saints. These panels were decorated simply, painted only with no leadworking and the images copied from popular engravings, and so were affordable to a wide range of people. They would be purchased for display in small churches, in the home or in civic buildings such as guild halls. This panel has a shield in the lower left which is the personal badge ('Housemark') of a professional person who commissioned this panel. The charge (or 'device') at the bottom of the shield could be a 'muehleisen' or 'mill iron' which was something that was set in a millstone to facilitate grinding. This could indicate that the person who commissioned this panel worked in the milling trade. The figure in this panel is wearing clerical garments and on his head is a mitre which identifies him as a bishop of the Christian Church. He holds a pastoral staff and a palm branch. Palm branches had been thrown on the ground in front of Jesus Christ during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what became known as 'Palm Sunday'. In early Christian art, the palm branch became associated with the Christian concept of 'triumphing over death' by the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. It the emblem of those who suffered and were killed for their belief in the Christian faith. The bishop in this image has not been identified but he is likely to have been one of the martyred bishops of the early church. The first martyrs, killed during the persecutions against the Christians in the Roman Imperial period, are often depicted with a palm. |
| Production | Possibly from a Northern German workshop. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | In the latter part of the 17th century there was a vogue in the Lowlands and North Germany for displaying small painted glass panels with images of saints. These panels were decorated simply, painted with no leadworking and the images copied from popular engravings, and so were affordable to a wide range of people. They would be purchased for display in small churches, in the home or in civic buildings such as guildhalls. This panel has a shield in the lower left which is the personal badge (or 'Housemark') of a professional person who commissioned this panel. The charge (or 'device') at the bottom of the shield could be a 'muehleisen' or 'mill iron' which was something that was set in a millstone to facilitate grinding. This could indicate that the person who commissioned this panel worked in the milling trade. The figure in this panel is wearing clerical garments and on his head is a mitre, which identifies him as a bishop of the Christian Church. He holds a pastoral staff and a palm branch. Palm branches had been thrown on the ground in front of Jesus Christ during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what became known as 'Palm Sunday'. In early Christian art, the palm branch became associated with the Christian concept of 'triumphing over death' by the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. It is the emblem of those who suffered and were killed for their belief in the Christian faith. The bishop in this image has not been identified, but he is likely to have been one of the martyred bishops of the early church. The first martyrs, killed during the persecutions against the Christians in the Roman Imperial period, are often depicted with a palm. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.54-1919 |
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| Record created | November 6, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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