Panel of painted and stained glass depicting the Two Trinities. Made in the Netherlands, dated 1629.

Panel of painted glass. At the top is a shield of arms. In the middle is an oval medallion with figures of St. Joseph, the Virgin and the boy Christ on their way to the Temple. Below is an inscription and the date 1629. On either side of the shield is a cupid holding a stick and a ball. The medallion is surrounded by scrollwork, with winged heads and festoons of fruit. The inscription is in an oblong cartouche with a grotesque winged female figure holding a harp on either side. On either side of the panel are four panes painted with birds, some of them perched on flowering sprays. The painting is in red and blue enamel, dark brown and silver yellow, details of the design being executed by the use of the point.

Panel was given by Joannes Conradius, Canon of Munster to his friend Henricus Venradius of Swolgen.
From the collection of Arthur Leslie Collie. Bought from G.F. Lawrence.

The 'frame' of the panel is painted with a selection of birds and plants which were copied from contemporary zoological and botanical treatises. This was a common practice at the time as interest in a scientific approach to the natural world was popular amongst the educated classes.

The central image, set within an oval, is the most interesting as it depicts the theme of the 'Two Trinities'. This type of portrayal of the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary and the young Jesus Christ) appeared at the time of the Counter Reformation in the 16th century.

One of the main concerns of the Protestant reformers was the imagery used in church art. Many of the Protestant sects that emerged in the 16th century banned the use of imagery as superstitious. The Counter Reformation was the Catholic church's response to this.

Previous images of the Holy Family had tended to become too realistic, showing the family in very human, earthly settings. The 'Two Trinities' theme was intended to remind the viewer of the central message of the Christian faith that the one God exists in Three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The central 'trinity' of the Holy Family is emphasised by the real Trinity seen here with God the Father in the clouds above, the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove and directly below is the Son, Jesus Christ.

This panel illustrates very well the art of 'painting on glass'. Lead lines are only used to join the panes of glass together into one panel rather than forming part of the design. The artist then painted the images with enamel paints and yellow (silver) stain, rather like painting on a canvas.

In the middle of the sixteenth century, new techniques for producing decorated glass had been introduced. Glass paints known as 'enamels' were used to paint directly onto the glass. The colours were produced by adding metallic oxides to a glass frit mixture and the resulting colour range included delicate yellows, greens and reds as we see here.

The technique was to grind coloured glass to dust and mix it with 'fat oil' or gum and water; this is the 'medium'. In the furnace the medium will be fired away, and the particles of coloured glass will melt and adhere, more or less firmly, to the sheet of glass.

A much wider range of colours can be obtained from enamel paints but this surface-applied colour lacks the richness and transparency of glass coloured in the mix (potmetal.).

The ‘frame’ of the panel is painted with a selection of birds and plants, which were copied from zoological and botanical treatises. Interest in a scientific approach to the natural world was popular at the time among the educated classes.

The central image, set within an oval, depicts the theme of the ‘Two Trinities’. This type of portrayal of the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary and the young Jesus Christ) appeared at the time of the Counter-Reformation in the 16th century, when the Catholic church attempted to address the concerns over religious images. Many of the new Protestant sects considered that the imagery used in church art was superstitious, and many Protestants banned its use.

Previous images of the Holy Family had tended to show the family in too human a setting. The ‘Two Trinities’ theme was intended to remind the viewer of an important message of the Christian faith: that the one God exists in Three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The central ‘trinity’ of the Holy Family is emphasised here by the Holy Trinity, with God the Father in the clouds above, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and the Son, Jesus Christ, directly below.

This panel illustrates very well the art of ‘painting on glass’. Instead of forming part of the design, lead lines are used only to join the panes of glass together into one panel. The artist then painted the images with enamel paints and yellow (silver) stain, rather like painting on a canvas.

From about the middle of the 16th century new techniques for producing decorated glass were introduced. Glass paints known as ‘enamels’ were used to paint directly onto the glass. To produce the colours, metallic oxides were added to a glass frit mixture. The resulting colour range included delicate yellows, greens and reds, as we see here.

The technique was to grind coloured glass to dust and mix it with ‘fat oil’ or gum and water – this is the ‘medium’. In the furnace the medium will be fired away, and the particles of coloured glass will melt and adhere, more or less firmly, to the sheet of glass.

465-1905