MEDIEVAL IMAGES OF SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX - GL76.jpg

Category Glass
Origin: artist/workshop circle of Andre Beauneveu
Date 15C/1
Reference No
Size 155.9x81.5 (abbot saint, 2nd from left)
Provenance Altenberg Cistercian Church, great West Window
Present Location Altenberg Cistercian Church
Bibliography Paffrath 1990, 101

Lymant 1979, 111-62
Illustration From Paffrath 1990, 101
Other illustrations Lymant 1979, 237 (also whole window 110)

Aachen 1981, 355, ill 15
Country Germany
Description:
The Great West Window measuring altogether 18 x 6 metres and built by the laybrother Raynoldus, the glass dating from c 1400. The lower part consists of two rows of eight white grisaille figures against a yellowish gold architectural background. These represent (above) Catherine, an unidentified knight saint, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, the Holy Family, an unidentified female saint, Stephen, and Barbara (new), and (below) Alban (new), an abbot saint, Andrew, John the Evangelist, another abbot saint, Peter, Paul, and Norbert (new).The two abbot saints are undoubtedly Bernard and Benedict, but as they are both in white cowls and invested with the same attributes, it is not possible to say which is which. They are virtually identical, probably made using the same form but reversed, and the only difference is that the sleeves of the one on the left (the one illustrated here) are a little narrower than those of the figure on the right. Could this possibly mean that the one on the left is Bernard? The halo of the left-hand saint is blue, that of the other, red.