The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
Culture
Spanish
Cultureprobably
Catalan
Dateabout 1200
Mediumpot-metal glass
Dimensions118.1 × 24.4 cm (46 1/2 × 9 5/8 in.)
ClassificationsGlass
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Aldus Chapin Higgins
Object number1961.17
Label TextSt. Lawrence was martyred by being roasted alive on a gridiron. In the lower portion of the window, the saint lies nude on a gridiron, while two figures kindle a fire beneath him, and two others hold him in position with long staves. In the upper portion of the window, the soul of the martyred saint is carried to heaven by two angels. The soul, here represented by a miniature figure of the saint, is being received or blessed by the hand of God projecting from the clouds.
The brilliantly colored glass used in this composition is painted with bold, opaque lines which show no attempt at modeling. The linear handling of the draperies and distinctive pear-shaped heads on the figures have linked this work to late twelfth-century frescoes from the Catalonian region in Spain. There exist very few examples of stained glass from this area and period, making this work particularly interesting and valuable to the collection. Indeed, this may be the earliest surviving stained glass from the Iberian Peninsula.
ProvenanceMrs. Aldus Chapin Higgins; purchased by Aldus Higgins from Grosvenor Thomas & Wilfred Drake (New York City) in 1938; sold in 1908 as part of the collection of the late Octave Homberg, Paris.On View
On view
