Details

Object type

stained glass panel

Title

Bust of an Angel Praying and architectural ornament

Place Associated

Austria, Vienna Neustadt (place of manufacture), Stift Neukloster (place associated) (place of use)

Date

circa 1340-1350

Materials

white, coloured, stained and painted glass, lead

Dimensions

overall: 1105 mm x 620 mm x 10 mm 12900 g

Description

Burrell bought this rectangular panel with bust of Praying Angel beneath a canopy and between wide architectural borders from Wilfred Drake in August 1939, and gave it to the city of Glasgow, with the rest of his collection, in 1944. The piece had come from the collection of William Randolph Hearst (New York, lot 681, article 63), and was then believed to be German. Nearly fifteen years later, in 1958, the scholar and glass specialist, Hans Wenzel, informed curators that the item had in fact originated in Austria, specifically from a church in Neustadt, a district of Vienna.

There, in the 13th century, a Dominican monastery was founded. After being damaged in a fire which ravaged that part of the city, it was rebuilt, as the Neukloster, and handed to the Cistercians in 1444 on the order of Emperor Frederick III. The stained-glass is a survival from the first monastery church built by the Dominicans.

Despite fire and war, a good amount of the church’s medieval glazing survived into the 19th century. In 1865, thirteen panels showing “Ornaments and Saints” were listed as still existing. A further account of the glass dated 1892 is also known. Following a hail storm which damaged the windows in 1897, the windows were removed and stored in advance of restoration. This restoration never took place. In 1914, a representation of the heritage authority noted that 13 heavily damaged windows were being stored in a chest in the church and looked to soon be forgotten. It was recommended that the pieces be restored and used in Neukloster’s museum. The large size of the 13 panels meant that they could not be set in the museum’s own windows. A quote was obtained for their restoration nonetheless, but work did not begin alongside the rest of the conservation in June 1918. The church later expressed the wish to sell them – this finally brought about their restoration, and more detailed description.

This window shows an angel, facing, with yellow hair and mantle; nimbus, wings and tunic in three shades of red. It is set in blue ground; separated from the canopy by a black and white band of ornament. The canopy tracery in yellow and black encloses trefoil openings above inset with blue, white and pink flowers in a red ground, and in a blue ground below. There are flanking borders of paired two-light lancet windows surmounted by crocketed pinnacles in white. In 1925, it was described baldly as: “8. Architektur mit Engel, Engelkopf ergänzt” indicating that the head of the angel itself was replaced around this time by a company in Vienna, called Geyling.

In December 1925, the works were valued, and, in 1926, sold to a dealer called Kertzmar, from whom the piece passed to William Randolph Hearst.

Credit Line/Donor

Gifted by Sir William and Lady Burrell to the City of Glasgow, 1944

Collection

Burrell Collection: Stained Glass

ID Number

45.481

Location

Burrell Collection