Adoration des rois mages 1390 Herman von Munster 08947

Hermann von Münster (c. 1330 – March 1392) was a German master glassmaker, native of

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

, in

Westphalia Westphalia (; ; ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the region is almost identical with the h ...

, and active in

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

Biography

Hermman von Münster is actually the first stained glass artist to be mentioned by the archives of the Cathedral chapter of Saint-Etienne of Metz. On August 29, 1381, master Hermann received an annuity of 22 pounds, to pay for its work on the western large window of the cathedral of Metz. His work was supported by Cardinal William Aigrefeuille, legate of the antipope

Clement VII Pope Clement VII (; ; born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the most unfortunate of ...

, who then reorganized the Chapter of Metz. Three years later, on 2 May 1384, the Cathedral chapter negotiated the price of the "GRANT OZ", the western

Rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...

with Hermann von Munster. Hermann was still working on the windows of the western facade in December 1384. In August 1385, the Cathedral Chapter borrowed 420 pounds to set the work completed. In 1388, Hermann bought a home in Metz, beside the cathedral, where he died in March 1392. Thanks to his fame and to the excellent quality of his work, Hermann was buried in the

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

of the cathedral. An epitaph on the north wall of the cathedral indicates in

old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th cathedral of Metz, in particular the large western window of the nave">Metz Cathedral">cathedral of Metz, in particular the large western window of the nave of Metz.

Technical overview

To came glasswork">assemble the window, pieces of colored and painted glass were first laid out on the design board, with the edges of each piece fitted into H-shaped strips of lead. Then, these cames were soldered to one another. When a panel was completed, putty was inserted between the glass and the lead cames for waterproofing. The entire composition was then stabilized with an iron armature and mounted in the window.Stained Glass in Medieval Europe, Thematic Essay, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Stylistic influences

It seems that the style of Herman von Münster is to link to the Westphalian context. His work is close in style to the work of the master of Altenberg, near Münster. But the figures of the master of Altenberg are less expressive, and stricter. The characters in the bottom of the western windows of Metz, richly dressed, stand under colourful architectural niches. The use of thicker glass, with more sustained tones than in France, far from being an archaism, testifies of the influence that the medieval Rhenish style had on his work.

References

Sources

*Abbé Foedit, ''Etwas vom Metzer Dom. Das große Radfenster der Westfront'', Metz, 1905.

Biography

Technical overview

Stylistic influences

References

Sources

See also