Mariawald Stained Glass - Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
N 51° 29.769 W 000° 10.317
30U E 696301 N 5708793
These panels of stained glass come from the cloister of a Cistercian abbey near Cologne in Germany. They are on display in the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum in London.
Waymark Code: WMHVK6
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/16/2013
Views: 3
The information board, beneath the panels, tells us:
STAINED GLASS FROM MARIAWALD
About 1520-30
This exceptionally fine glass comes from the cloister of a Cistercian abbey
near Cologne. Two windows have been reconstructed to show how they would
originally have appeared Three further panels are displayed on each side.
The monks walked past this glass on the way from their living quarters to
the church The images juxtapose the events of Christ’s life with Old
Testament events that pre figured them Below, praying donors are shown
alongside their patron saints.
The
V&A Museum website tells us:
The narrative depicted by the stained glass began at
the cloister entrance, in the south-west corner, with the scene of the
Annunciation (the moment when the Archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary
that she will bear a son). The visitor then walked clockwise around the
cloister viewing the stories relating to the Life of Christ.
The windows were arranged so that these scenes fell into three sequences.
The west walk was devoted to the Childhood of Christ, the north walk to the
Miracles and Teachings, and the east walk to the Passion of Christ (the
Crucifixion and the events leading up to it).
Each window was composed of eight stained glass panels in four rows. The
bottom row depicted the donors of the window, often with their patron
saints. The second row showed scenes from the Life of Christ. The third row
showed events from the Old Testament. The pairing of scenes from the Old and
New Testaments is known as a typology – the idea that an Old Testament event
foreshadowed a New Testament event. The top row depicted Old Testament
prophets holding scrolls bearing texts of prophecies relating to the events
below.
In this reconstructed window the Old Testament 'type' of Jacob tempting Esau
to sell his birthright is above the New Testament 'antitype' of the Devil
tempting Christ. The 'type' of Naaman being healed of his leprosy by the
purifying waters of the River Jordan is above the 'antitype' of Christ
instituting redemption through baptism by water. It is not known whether the
donor (Heinrich von Binsfield, abbot of Kornelimunster Abbey) and patron
saint (Pope Cornelius) panels were originally with this particular window.
The pairing of events from the Old Testament with scenes from the Life of
Christ could be found in late medieval printed blockbooks, for example the
Biblia Pauperum (Bible of the Poor) and the Speculum Humanae Salvationis
(Mirror of Human Salvation). These books were widely circulated as religious
education texts.
Another source used by stained glass workshops was the new medium of printed
copper-plate engraving. The panel showing the Baptism of Christ in the River
Jordan is derived from an engraving made by the artist Martin Schongauer.
His work was greatly respected for its clarity of composition and was sold
widely in Europe.
The
museum's website also tells us about Mariawald Abbey and the story held in
the glass:
Mariawald Abbey in Germany was built between 1480 and
1539. It is in a wooded area just south-west of Cologne named after a
miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary – Mariawald literally means ‘Mary
forest’. From the mid-15th century onwards the statue's miracle-working
powers began to draw large numbers of pilgrims. The original chapel on the
site was not large enough to accommodate them, so in 1480 the nearby
Cistercian monastery at Bottenbroich financed a new abbey.
Cloisters, covered walkways attached to a monastery or church and enclosing
an open courtyard, are usually open at the sides, but at Mariawald Abbey the
cloister had glass windows. These were made of clear and coloured glass with
painted and stained details portraying events from the Old and New
Testaments of the Bible.
The bottom row of the windows depicted the many religious leaders and
prominent families of the north Rhineland who had contributed towards the
cloister glass. These two panels show the family of Rabolt II von
Plettenberg and his wife Margaretha Einenberg-Landskron, both from
high-ranking families in the north Rhineland.
They were married in 1513 and had two sons and six daughters. The panel on
the right shows Margaretha Einenberg with four of their daughters - the two
youngest were not yet born. The panel on the left depicts Rabolt II with his
eldest son, Rabolt III, and his wife. They were married in 1538, the same
year as the second son, Engelbert, died.
If you look closely at the area behind the right leg of Rabolt III there are
indications of a cushion and the drapery of a kneeling figure. It is
possible that the panel originally showed both sons in their youth, just as
their sisters are depicted opposite. Later, Engelbert was removed and an
older Rabolt III and his wife were inserted. This probably happened at an
important moment in the family's history, perhaps at Engelbert's death or
Rabolt III's marriage.
During the French Revolution (1789–99) and the subsequent religious
upheavals under Napoleon Bonaparte (reigned 1804–14/15), many monastic
institutions in mainland Europe were secularised and their buildings sold or
destroyed. Mariawald Abbey was closed in 1802, by which point the stained
glass had already been removed.
The glass was bought by John Christopher Hampp of Norwich, who sold it on to
various churches and private collectors in England. Many of the panels were
bought by Lord Brownlow, who installed them in his new chapel at Ashridge
Park, Hertfordshire. In 1928 the contents of Ashridge Park were sold at
auction. A private collector bought the stained glass panels and donated
them to the V&A.
Type of building where window is located: Museum
Address: Victoria & Albert Museum Cromwell Gardens London, United Kingdom
Admission Charge: 0.00 (listed in local currency)
Days of Operation: Daily - extended hours of Friday
Hours of Operation: From: 10:00 AM To: 5:45 PM
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Visit Instructions: Please include additional photos of the window or windows at this location. Provide additional information regarding the window/s if you are able.
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