Medieval Windows Restored

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 3

Medieval Windows Restored

GOUDA—Through the restoration of the 31 world famous stained glass windows of (St. John’s Church here, after 35 years of strenuous work, a monument of artistic and historic value has been renovated. Not only have the windows, representing nearly two acres of the finest glass art, resumed their early splendour, but a comprehensive scheme of restoration of the church in which they arc housed has also been effected. (St. John’s Church, with its great number of huge stained glass windows, is unique in The Netherlands am! perhaps in Europe. It was probably first erected in the thirteenth century, but on several occasions was practically destroyed by lire. The building assumed its present form in the middle of the sixteenth century and thereafter h,as remained substantially unaltered. The original medieval glass disappeared during one of the lires and two sixteenth century Gouda glass painters, the craftsmen Dirk and Wouter Crabeth were employed to remake the windows. The necessary money was the gift of royal personages, ecclesiastics, city corporations, the chief inhabitants or various towns, and members of craft guilds. In former times the Town Council and the Church wardens had carefully preserved the windows by gathering any fragments which might have become detached and, with the aid of the original drawings, they had the repair work done from time to time. These original drawings enabled the design of every window to be preserved with great accuracy. In the seventeenth century, however, the windows were greatly neglected and it was on the initiative of R. L. Martens, former burgomaster of Gouda, that in 1901 Jau Schouten started the work of restoring the windows, which had suffered greatly from exposure to the weather. The windows date from the periol between 1555 and 1603 and have been influenced by Italian art. Window eight for intsance, by Dirk Crabeth, represents the temple robber Heliodorus being chastised by angels, and it reminds one of the wall-paintings in the Vatican by Raphael, when he was influenced by Michaelangelo. The figure of Christ in window 15, by Dirk Grabeth reminds one of a piece of sculpture, attributed to Michelangelo, representing Christ standing by the side of the cross. The figure of Christ in window 22, by Dirk Crabeth, shows the expelling of the money-changers from the temple, and is reminiscent of the art of 7k lb re ch t Durer. It is generally held by art connoisseurs that in these windows can be seen the precursors of the seven|teenth century’s painters of portraits, i Several of the oldest windows were I drawn by Lambertus van Noort, whose son Adam was to become the teacher of ’Rubens. The drawings of the later windows were made by Isaac Swanenburg, whose son was to become the | teacher of Rembrandt. I I A mother was trying to break a piece | of sad news as gently as possible to her I little girl. 44 Mary,” she said, “your granny has gone to live in Heaven. ’ There was a pause for a moment, then J the child replied, “Gosh, how posh!” “Chewed. Pigs” I A number of blind guests were invit- | ed to a dinner party at the National Institute for the Blind, and an enthusiastic learner in the institute’s corps of volunteer Braille transcribers offered to copy out the menu in Braille. The embossed card served its purpose admirably till the sweet course, but the blind diners were then astonished to find that they were to be served with ‘‘ Chewed Pigs.”

The transformation from “stewed figs” had been caused by a slight interchanging of dots in the initial characters.