Stained Glass Window with Ancestor of Christ

Description This window is possibly one of a group depicting twelve ancestors of Christ from the abbey church of Saint-Yved in Braine. The figure may represent Sophonias (Zephaniah), one of the priests of the Temple of Solomon who prophesied the coming of Christ. Parts of this window, especially the upper third, are modern restorations. The colors of this panel, like many stained glass windows of this period, are dominated by a rich blue, associated with the purity of heaven and commonly used as a background to provide a sense of spatial depth.

Exhibitions

• A Feast for the Senses: Art and Experience in Medieval Europe. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. 2016-2017.

Provenance Raoul Heilbronner, Paris; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1910; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.

Inscriptions [Inscription] In modern glass: SOPHONIAS

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1910