554 Tore Gannholm Romanesque Stained Glass To create a Gotlandic medieval church included the effort of many other than the actual masonry masters, i a smiths, bell casters, sculptors, painters, jewelers, weavers and embroiders. Among the most important was the glazier, who was also a glass painter, vitriarius in Latin. Through him the church became usable in all weather conditions. He closed out storms, rain and cold. The magic light also showed through the panes’ rainbow colors to let people know that the Lord was staying in his house. The church was heaven. The church could surely be accomplished in a vari- ety of ways, in lines as well as in mass, space, clair obscurity or through its sculptures and murals. However, the totality of her being, she only reached with glass paintings. The Romanesque architecture is more uniform and did not combine with the lodge until later. Group II (c. 1345-c. 1350) comprises only few capital friezes, namely the following: Lärbro tower portal, north capital frieze (fig. 969). Lummelunda choir portal, west capital frieze (fig. 887). Hablingbo choir portal, west capital frieze (fig. 889). It seems probable that an apprentice or a sec- ond-rate master executed these reliefs. The compo- sition is awkwardly realized. The figures are stiffly lined up without connection with each other. There are also obvious shortcomings in details. Group III (c. 1345 - c. 1360) includes the most famous works of the lodge, with the great portals in Stån- ga and Norrlanda. The following portals belong to this group: Garde choir portal (fig. 890). Burs choir portal and choir bench (figs. 891, 1062). Lye choir portal (fig. 892). Stånga nave portal and reliefs (figs. 998, 999). Väte nave portal (fig. 897). Rone tower portal (fig. 898). Gothem tower, fragment of a gargoyle. The many finely and skilfully carved portals of this group suggest that the work was supervised by an outstanding master who himself no doubt carved many of the reliefs. One is tempted to assume that it may have been the leader of the lodge, who was responsible for these skilfully carved portals. Group IV comprises the latest works of the lodge: Hablingbo nave portal (fig. 905). Grötlingbo nave and choir portals (figs. 906, 907). Öja tower portal and gable figures (fig. 910). Roma capitals and capital friezes (figs. 915, 916). Gotlandic Stained glass This is the coloured and painted glass common in medieval Europe from the 900s to the 1500s. Stained glass windows were used predominantly in churches, but were also found in wealthy do- mestic and public buildings such as town halls, though surviving examples of secular glass are very rare indeed. The purpose of stained glass windows in a church was both to enhance the beauty of its setting and to inform the view- er through narrative or symbolism. The sub- ject matter was generally in churches religious, though portraits and heraldry are often includ- ed, and many narrative scenes give valuable in- sights into the medieval world.
Transcript
554
Tore Gannholm
Romanesque Stained Glass
To create a Gotlandic medieval church included
the effort of many other than the actual masonry
masters, i a smiths, bell casters, sculptors, painters,
jewelers, weavers and embroiders. Among the most
important was the glazier, who was also a glass
painter, vitriarius in Latin. Through him the church
became usable in all weather conditions. He closed
out storms, rain and cold. The magic light also
showed through the panes’ rainbow colors to let
people know that the Lord was staying in his house.
The church was heaven.
The church could surely be accomplished in a vari-
ety of ways, in lines as well as in mass, space, clair
obscurity or through its sculptures and murals.
However, the totality of her being, she only reached
with glass paintings.
The Romanesque architecture is more uniform
and did not combine with the lodge until later.
Group II (c. 1345-c. 1350) comprises only few capital
friezes, namely the following:
Lärbro tower portal, north capital frieze (fig. 969).
Lummelunda choir portal, west capital frieze (fig.
887).
Hablingbo choir portal, west capital frieze (fig. 889).
It seems probable that an apprentice or a sec-
ond-rate master executed these reliefs. The compo-
sition is awkwardly realized. The figures are stiffly lined up without connection with each other. There
are also obvious shortcomings in details.
Group III (c. 1345 - c. 1360) includes the most famous
works of the lodge, with the great portals in Stån-
ga and Norrlanda. The following portals belong to
this group:
Garde choir portal (fig. 890).
Burs choir portal and choir bench (figs. 891, 1062).
Lye choir portal (fig. 892).
Stånga nave portal and reliefs (figs. 998, 999).
Väte nave portal (fig. 897).
Rone tower portal (fig. 898).
Gothem tower, fragment of a gargoyle.
The many finely and skilfully carved portals of this group suggest that the work was supervised by an
outstanding master who himself no doubt carved
many of the reliefs. One is tempted to assume that
it may have been the leader of the lodge, who was
responsible for these skilfully carved portals.
Group IV comprises the latest works of the lodge:
Hablingbo nave portal (fig. 905).
Grötlingbo nave and choir portals (figs. 906, 907).
Öja tower portal and gable figures (fig. 910).
Roma capitals and capital friezes (figs. 915, 916).
Gotlandic Stained glass
This is the coloured and painted glass common
in medieval Europe from the 900s to the 1500s.
Stained glass windows were used predominantly
in churches, but were also found in wealthy do-
mestic and public buildings such as town halls,
though surviving examples of secular glass are
very rare indeed. The purpose of stained glass
windows in a church was both to enhance the
beauty of its setting and to inform the view-
er through narrative or symbolism. The sub-
ject matter was generally in churches religious,
though portraits and heraldry are often includ-
ed, and many narrative scenes give valuable in-
sights into the medieval world.
555
The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
than the stained glass that adorns it. The walls are
thick and the window openings small with rounded
tops. Because the glass was set in small openings it
had to let in considerable light. Today Romanesque
windows seem darker because of corrosion.
Some figures in Romanesque stained glass stand or sit staring straight ahead. Some are involved in ac-
tion as witnessed by their billowing garments. Some
windows are made up of a series of events enclosed
in medallions. The earlier windows of this style are
more simple, primitive and rare. They depict well-
known saints or stories from the Bible. Reverence
for the Virgin Mary is prevalent at this time and
she is often depicted as a queen. The windows use
stylized vegetal ornament and decorative beading
around the scenes and figures. The predominant colors are red and blue. This style of stained glass
seems to have developed from cloisonne enamels
and miniature paintings.
As a material, stained glass is glass that has been
coloured by adding metallic salts during its manu-
facture. The coloured glass is crafted into stained
glass windows in which small pieces of glass are
arranged to form patterns or pictures, traditionally
held together by strips of lead and supported by
a rigid frame. Painted details and yellow stain are
often used to enhance the design. The term stained
glass is also applied to windows in which the co-
lours have been painted onto the glass and then
fused into the glass in a kiln.
Stained glass, as an art and a craft, requires the ar-
tistic skill to conceive an appropriate and workable
design, and the engineering skills to assemble the
piece. A window must fit snugly into the space for which it is made, must resist wind and rain, and also,
especially in the larger windows, support its own
weight.
In early Christian churches, from the 300s and 400s,
there are many remaining windows which are filled
with ornate patterns of thinly-sliced alabaster set
into wooden frames, giving a stained-glass like ef-
fect.
Evidence of stained glass windows in churches and
monasteries in Britain can be found as early as the
600s. The earliest known reference dates to 675
when Benedict Biscop (c. 628 – 690), also known as
Biscop Baducing imported workmen from France
to glaze the windows of the monastery of S. Peter
which he was building at Monkwearmouth. Hun-
dreds of pieces of coloured glass and lead, dating
back to the late 600s, have been discovered here
and at Jarrow.
In the Middle East, the glass industry of Syria con-
tinued during the Islamic period with major centres
of manufacture at Ar-Raqqah, Aleppo and Damas-
cus and the most important products being highly
transparent colourless glass and gilded glass, rather
than coloured glass. The production of coloured
glass in Southwest Asia existed by the 700s, at
which time the alchemist Jābir ibn Hayyān, in Kitab
al-Durra al-Maknuna, gave 46 recipes for produc-
ing coloured glass and described the technique of
cutting glass into artificial gemstones.Medieval stained glass is preserved in the thousands.
Fig 1107. A mosaic in Hagia Sophia showing Leo VI paying homage to Christ
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Tore Gannholm
Fig 1108. Mosaic panel with Christ, Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Zoe. Zoe reigned 1028-1050. East wall, south gallery of St Sopia, Con-
stantinople. Christ with his special hair style, a small pile tuft in the forehead and the side part.
But it’s such a tiny part of what it has been. When
burnt in the molten colors and lines they are pre-
served almost like mosaic. But the windows had a
very risky function as the room’s defender against
the storms in the outside world. Their pious beauty
has tantalized fanatics among iconoclasts and ratio-
nalists to attack and destroy. Of all the sacred works
of art that have fallen victim for blind violence of
the elements in storms and fires or for men with destruction mania because of stupidity, intolerance
or just thoughtlessness are glass paintings in the
majority.
The more precious is the sight of the survivors.
Their value is now widely recognized.
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The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
Fig 1112. Dalhem church. Top windowpane in the middle of the three east-
ern windows with Christ Pantokrator, by the Judas-master.
Fig 1110. Endre church. Round windowpane, top of the middle window
in the choir eastern three-window group, with Christ Pantokrator by the En-
dre-glazier
Fig 1109. Christ with his special hair style, a small pile tuft in the forehead
and the side part.
Fig 1111. Christ with his special hair style, a small pile tuft in the forehead
and the side part on the mosaic i Cefalu.
Here will with a few words be told, how on the basis
of studies in the Gotlandic material one can imag-
ine the production and how lodges may historically
be grouped and dated, and how, in spite of the of-
ten insignificant fragment remains, one can imagine their aesthetic function as part of the church.
That these glass paintings from the beginning were
considered indispensable, for it speaks the dual
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Tore Gannholm
Fig 1114.
Dalhem church.
The Margarete
window on the
north side of the
choir.
Fig 1113. Endre church. Detail of Christ Pantocrator by the Dalhem lodge
function of the glass, as practical and moral teach-
ing. For this also speak the devices that were made
during the actual construction of the window
openings to receive the glass.
Finally speak in favor of this several episodes from
the European history of glass painting, where the
work of glaziers is shown to follow immediately on
the bricklayers and stone-cutters, yes, even some
time earlier than the vault builder. Of course there
are exceptions, where a makeshift window got to
do until further notice. And there are late dating of
glass that became embedded in older window open-
ings to replace the original glass that had become
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The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
Fig 1116. Dalhem church. Part of the windowpane figure 1115 by the Dalhem main glazier
Fig 1115. Left. Dalhem church. The north window in the choir by the Dal-
hem main glazier
The Gotlandic art school has its roots in the Macedonian Renais-sance art
The style that was in the 900s inspired by the Mace-
donian Renaissance art developed in the Gotlandic
school of art characteristics in an entirely distinc-
tive way that makes the period to an art historical
heyday on Gotland. Professor Arthur Haseloff, the
area’s main connoisseur, has observed a variation of
the Byzantine Christ Pantocrator type, namely with
a small pile tuft in the forehead and side part. We
find it in a Mosaic Panel of St. Sophia in Constanti-nople, located in the tympanum above the gate, that
was used only by the emperors when entering the
church (fig. 1107). Based on style analysis, it has been
corrupted.
We, however, consider, as a rule, that glass painting
is contemporary with the construction of the win-
dow opening unless special circumstances lead us
to suppose an exceptional case.
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Fig 1118 Silte church. S. Martin bishop by the Silte-glazier (GF)
Fig 1117. Silte church. S. Michael the dragon slayer by the Silte-glazier (GF)
Later variants in Italy
A variant of the Byzantine Christ Pantocrator is lat-
er partly found in the mosaics in Cefalu, Sicily (1145),
and partly also in Elisabeth Church in Marburg
stained glass while it is completely missing in the
Thüringisch-Sachsische Malerschule’s manuscript
dated to late 800s or early 900s. The emperor with
a nimbus or halo could possibly represent emper-
or Leo VI the Wise, the grandson to the Gotlandic
Varangian Ingr. He is bowing down before Christ
Pantocrator who is seated on a jeweled throne, giv-
ing His blessing and holding His left hand on an
open book. The text on the book reads in Greek as
follows: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”. (John 8:12)
On each side of Christ’s shoulders is a circular me-
dallion. On His left the Archangel Gabriel, holding
a staff, on His right His Mother Mary.
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The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
Fig 1121. Dalhem church. The Christ Scorging from the Christological suite
in the eastern three-window group in the choir by the Judas-glazier
Fig 1120. Dalhem church. The Judas Kiss from the Christological suite in
the eastern three-window group in the choir by the Judas-glazier
Fig 1119. Skokloster Castle. Windowpane from unknown church with Cal-
varie group by the Silte-glazier.
paintings
Roger II (1095-1154) brought masters knowledgeable
in the technique of mosaic from Constantinople to
Sicily. They adapted their traditional Byzantine dec-
orative art to an architectural structure that was of
Northern European origin.
The dominant figure of the decorative scheme is the bust of Christ Pantokrator, portrayed with a
hand raised in Benediction on the semi-dome of
the apse. In his left hand he carries the Gospel of
John, in which here can be read, in both Greek and
Latin: “I am the light of the world, who follows me will not
wander in the darkness but will have the light of life” (John, 8:12).
It is considered the finest Byzantine mosaic in Italy and comparable to other fine late Byzantine work from Constantinople.
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Fig 1123. Dalhem Church. The Ascension. Detail with Virgin Mary by the Judas-glazier.
Fig 1122. Dalhem Church. The Judas kiss by the Judas-glazier.
Most of what is known about medieval stained
glass making comes from a 1100s German monk
who called himself Theophilus. An artist and met-
alworker himself, Theophilus described in his text,
‘On Diverse Arts’, how he carefully studied glaziers
and glass painters at work in order to provide de-
tailed directions for creating windows of ‘inestima-
ble beauty.’
The basic ingredients for making glass are sand and
wood ash, potash. The mixture is melted into liquid
that when cooled becomes glass. To color the glass
certain powdered metals are added to the mixture
while the glass is still molten. Molten glass can be
blown into a sausage shape, then slit on the side
before being flattened into a sheet. It can also be spun with a pontil iron into a round sheet, crown.
A window’s pictorial image is created by arranging
the different pieces of colored glass over the design
drawn on a piece of board. If fine details such as shadows or outlines are required, the artist paints
them on the glass with black paint.
To assemble the window pieces of colored and
painted glass is laid out on the design board with
the edges of each piece fitted into H-shaped strips of lead, cames. These cames are soldered to one
another so that the panel is secure. When a pan-
el is completed, putty is inserted between the glass
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The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
Fig 1126. Dalhem Church. Fig 1124 photographed from the back of the
glass.
Fig 1124. Dalhem Church. The Ascension. Detail with the right hand angle and apostles by the Judas-glazier.
Fig 1125. Endre Church. The ascension. Detail of the apostle John and the
Virgin Mary. The Endre-glazier.
and the lead cames for waterproofing. The entire composition is then stabilized with an iron frame,
armature, and mounted in the window.
A came is a divider bar used between small pieces
of glass to make a larger glazing panel, sometimes
referred to as “leaded glass”. This process is then
referred to as “leading”.
There are two kinds of came: the H-shaped sections
that hold two pieces together and the U-shaped sec-
tions that are used for the borders. Cames are most-
ly made of lead, zinc, copper, brass or brass-capped
lead. Of the metal strips, lead is softer and more
flexible, making it easier to cut and bend.
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Fig 1128. Lojsta Church. Detail of Christ resurrection by the Dalhem lodge
Fig 1127 Dalhem Church. Windowpane below fig. 1112. The spectators of the Ascension, Christ is thought already removed from their sight by the Judas-glazier.
The Visby churches
Not a pane is left of the vast treasure of stained
glass that should have been in the Visby church-
es. We only have a triangular piece of glass from
one of S. Mary’s Gothic nave windows. Still we can
make a rather adequate conception of the content
and color characteristics of the choir windows in S.
Mary, namely what is preserved outside Visby. The
choir in Dalhem church is the only one in Gotland,
which in its distribution of window openings fully
resembles Visby S. Mary choir layout as there are
windows even on the north side, and is also oth-
erwise architecturally pondered with Visby S. Mary.
Through the preserved windows in Dalhem from
the 1100s they provide information about the Visby
S. Mary church. The creation of the Dalhem choir
and the greater part of its nave seems to be short-
Fig 1129. Endre Church. Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. Detail of the disci-
ples fig. 1241. By the Endre-glazier.
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The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
Fig 1130. Lojsta Church. Almost completely preserved Christological suite of Middle Dalhem School. The ornaments on the wall are contemporary.
Bottom pane in the window is modern.
ly before the S. Mary choir. Roosval has named
the lodge making the glass paintings the “Dalhem
School”. Among several similar glass painting lodg-
es in Gotland the Dalhem School seems to artisti-
cally and technically be the most accomplished.
The architectural distribution of the windows in
terms of color, brightness and content are similar
in all orders from the lodge and is valid as long as
stained glass is produced for the Gotlandic church-
es. To the east behind the altar is in the three stacked
window group a Christological suite starting to the
left with the childhood of the Savior, continuing
to the right with His public life and culminating
with the Passion in the middle window. A Christ
Pantocrator (fig. 1112) was enthroned in the top box.
The eastern windows were saturated with color and
were relatively obscure with large ruby red and co-
balt blue opaque surfaces. The lateral façade win-
dows, normally only on the southern façade, saw
the individual saint against a nearly all-white back-
ground, patterned with leaves in grisaille. The actual
saint figure (fig. 1114) was held in a blonder tone than
the figures in the eastern windows (figs 1112, 1127).
This is a dramatic system of colorful clairobscure.
In the east is a dimly glowing display of color as a
luminous carpet draped behind the altar, a Christ’s
throne with canopy behind it. In the south a blond-
er color, a light as though mitigated by color stains.
It was strong enough to give the room its necessary
lighting.
In Dalhem we only know the Main Glazier’s hand
in the north choir window with the queenly Marga-
Fig 1131. Three windowpanes from Silte church now in GF by the Silte-gla-
zier. 1. Christ’s birth. 2. The presentation in the temple. 4. The Annunci-ation.
3. Lojsta Church. The birth of Christ, a windowpane of it at 1 and 4 as a
wholeness of the Middle Dalhem School
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Tore Gannholm
Fig 1132. Windowpane that originally belonged to the eastern window in
Eksta Church with the Adoration by the Intellectual. GF.
ret (figs. 1115 and 1116).
Close to the Main Glazier, but not a work by him,
are the panes from Silte, now in GF (fig. 1117). A
richly ornamented Calvary Group is in the Skok-
loster collection (fig. 1119) and an Announcement
pane in the Zorn Museum in Mora (fig. 1120). The
Main Glazier’s calm idealistic view is maintained
everywhere, although the heads are here and there
miss proportioned.
Hands and feet are small, and in the fingers is no joint indicated by crosslines, as by the Main Glazier.
The fixed gaze is obtained by allowing the pupil to a small portion be covered by the eyelid.
There is another Glazier of rather own temper with
some well-preserved passionate scenes in Dalhem
(fig. 1121). He shows a more realistic orientation and
bears the name the Judas-glazier for his sharp de-
piction of the traitor Judas’ abomination (fig. 1122).
He has also painted the Ascension (figs. 1123, 1124)
and the related Christ Pantocrator (figs. 1112, 1127),
where the idealism of the compositions testify how
he has been bound by the Main Glazier’s pattern
drawings and had to stifle his realistic inclinations. Hands and feet are as those by the Silte-glazier. All
the Dalhem windows are characterized by a rare me-
ticulous technique. Thus is the shading on the back
of the glass so well done that a face viewed from
this direction appears as an accomplished pencil
drawing (fig. 1126), and the lead is so well made that
Fig 1133. Eksta Church. The Presentation in the temple.
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The Gotlandic Merchant Republic and its Medieval Churches
