Wouter Pietersz Crabeth (1510–1590) was a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

glass painter. He was employed by the Sint Janskerk (Gouda) during the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

, where he created six of the stained glass windows during the years 1555 to 1571. His windows, that he created in close collaboration with his brother

Dirk Crabeth Dirk (or Dirck) Pietersz Crabeth (1501–1574) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter, tapestry designer, and mapmaker. He was employed by the Janskerk (Gouda) during the 16th century, where he created eight of the stained glass windows during th ...

, are one of the reasons that the church was placed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

list of monuments.

Biography

He and his brother Dirk were the sons of Pieter Dirckz of Gouda.Bio sketch on Wouter
in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam They came from a painting family that was employed in the stained glass industry of Gouda. Archival evidence survives today showing orders of glass panes from various Netherlands towns. Wouter's fame began when his brother became head builder in charge at the Janskerk, and he was hired to help with the window design for an ambitious series of windows depicting the life of St. John the Baptist. Wouter probably assisted his brother from 1555 onwards, but he only signed his own work after he took a trip to Italy, which made him a master painter in his own right. His paintings show better skill at perspective, and he often included architectural backgrounds that accentuated this. According to Houbraken, his work gave the viewer the impression of height, while Dirk's work gave the impression of depth.''Het geen Dirk doet door zyn diepzels, werkt Wouter uit door zyn hoogzels.'' - quote by Houbraken i
Dirk en Wouter Crabeth biography
in ''De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen'' (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the

Digital library for Dutch literature The Digital Library for Dutch Literature (Dutch: Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren or DBNL) is a website (showing the abbreviation as dbnl) about Dutch language and Dutch literature. It contains thousands of literary texts, second ...

His brother had no children, but Wouter had at least one son named Pieter, who became a mayor of Gouda. He in turn had a son, also named Wouter Pietersz, who became a painter like his namesake. This grandson

Wouter Crabeth II Wouter Pietersz. Crabeth II (1594 – c. 18 June 1644) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography Wouter Crabeth was born in Gouda in 1594, the son of the writer and politician Pieter Woutersz. Crabeth. He was named after his grandfather Wouter ...

also travelled to Italy, like his grandfather did before him. He also had a granddaughter by his son Pieter, named Maria Crabeth, who later married

Reinier van Persijn Reinier van Persijn (1615 – 23 November 1668) was a Dutch Golden Age engraver of portraits and bookplates. Biography According to Houbraken, who called him ''Reynier van Parzyn'', he was married to the granddaughter of the stained glass pain ...

, the painter and engraver from Alkmaar.

Wouter's stained glass windows in the Sint Janskerk of Gouda and Museum Gouda

File:Geboorteglas.jpg, Nativity scene (birth of Christ) File:Margarete von Parma.jpg,

Margaret of Parma Margaret of Parma (; 5 July 1522 – 18 January 1586) was Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582. She was the illegitimate daughter of the then 22-year-old Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Johanna Maria van der Gh ...

File:Gouda-Sint-Janskerk-Glas23-oben.jpg, ''glass 23'' Elijah's sacrifice on Mount Carmel File:Gouda-Sint-Janskerk-Glas23-mitte.jpg, ''glass 23'' Jesus washing the feet of the disciples File:Gouda-Sint-Janskerk-Glas12.jpg, The adoration of the shepherds File:Glasruitje, Wouter Pieterz Crabeth (I).jpg, Museum Gouda. Resurrectng Christ triumphs over death, sin and evil 1560–1570

Legacy

The stained glass windows of Gouda are famous, but this is not only for their beauty. It remains a mystery today why these stained glass windows survived the

Beeldenstorm ''Beeldenstorm'' () in Dutch and ''Bildersturm'' in German (roughly translatable from both languages as 'attack on the images or statues') are terms used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th centu ...

and why Wouter and his brother were allowed to continue their work after the changeover from a Catholic church to a Protestant one. The church has windows from both of the enemies Philip II of Spain and

William the Silent William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

. Houbraken wrote two pages about the brothers Dirk and Wouter Crabeth in his '' Schouburgh'' (1718), since he was surprised they were overlooked in

Karel van Mander Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander I (May 1548 – 2 September 1606) was a Flemish painter, poet, art historian and art theoretician, who established himself in the Dutch Republic in the latter part of his life. He is mainly remembere ...

's ''

Schilder-boeck or is a book written by the Flemish writer and painter Karel van Mander first published in 1604 in Haarlem in the Dutch Republic, where van Mander resided. The book is written in 17th-century Dutch and its title is commonly translated into En ...

'', who only mentioned their brother

Adriaen Pietersz Crabeth Adriaen Pietersz Crabeth ( 1510 —1553) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter. Life Crabeth was born in Gouda. According to Karel van Mander he had been the pupil of the glass painter Jan Swart van Groningen.Autun Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Ro ...

(known then for its stained glass windows in the Cathedral) after travelling for a long time in France.
Desen Swart Ian had een Discipel geheeten Ariaen Pietersz Crabeth: zijn Vader hiet Krepel Pieter.
' quote by Van Mander in his

Schilderboeck or is a book written by the Flemish writer and painter Karel van Mander first published in 1604 in Haarlem in the Dutch Republic, where van Mander resided. The book is written in 17th-century Dutch and its title is commonly translated into Eng ...

References

External links

Website of the St. Janskerk in Gouda with windows online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crabeth, Wouter Van 1510 births 1590 deaths Dutch Renaissance painters People from Gouda, South Holland Sibling artists Catholic decorative artists Catholic stained glass artists