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Adoration of the Magi

UnknownCirca 1522

National Museum of Slovenia

National Museum of Slovenia
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Gothic stained glass windows were a very important part of interiors of churches and chapels, a pendant to the colourful frescoes on the walls. Biblical events, church history, parables, legends an so on, illustrated on walls and windows as in a book, were easily understandable to the worshipping public. At the same time, the daylight coming in through the windows was screened and filtered, giving the sacred space an added mystic touch. Gothic stained glass windows in Slovenia are extremely rare. They were destroyed by Turkish incursions, earthquakes (e.g. in 1511), Baroque transformation in the seventeenth century and by wars. The collection of the National Museum of Slovenia consists of four sixteenth century windows with profane subjects. There are also several fine fragments with sacred subjects that used to be parts of larger windows, since individual panes might fill an entire window opening or be only the central motif, surrounded by transparent or coloured crown glass. Stained glass was used for exterior and interior windows of castle chapels, middle class town houses, and even instead of plain glass in some types of furniture. The stained-glass panel with the motif of the Adoration of the Magi does not originate in Slovenia. It consists of bits of various shades of blue, red and green glass. In contrast to these bits, to which colour was added in the molten state, the yellow fields were painted. Black drawings were burnt onto the surface. The details show the painter’s great mastery but, alas, he remains anonymous, since his initials inscribed below the date have become illegible.

Details

  • Title: Adoration of the Magi
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date: Circa 1522
  • Date Created: Circa 1522
  • Location Created: Southern Germany
  • Physical Dimensions: l. 22 cm, w. 21 cm
  • Provenance: Bought 1953
  • Type: Stained glass
  • Rights: Narodni muzej Slovenije
  • Medium: Stained glass, lead, black drawing with tar

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