The detail shows the lowest zone of the right-hand double window. The dying of the martyrs catherine and barbara is depicted in an unbelievable way. Both saints, painted in complete nudity on white glass, are depicted at the moment of their death throes: catherine, plunging headlong from the wheel with her bosom uncovered, and barbara, lying sideways on the ground with her legs drawn up. Each of the holy figures is accompanied by a female lament figure. The window is entirely in the modern style (jugendstil/art nouveau). This style draws its inspiration from the forms of the plant and animal world. The figures are often stylised to make use of a formal language consisting of undulating lines. The world of flowers is dominant. In golden colour, it spreads between the middle and lower part of the window. In addition, there are imaginative, colourful flowers that resemble butterflies or whose petals look like lips. In addition to the flower shapes, the colours are also symbolic. The flower carpet, on which the bodies of the martyrs lie, stands for the blessed seeds of christianity. Red and violet express death and mourning. Mehoffer has exploited the whole palette in this work, juxtaposing the strongest colours with the gentlest tones. Despite these tensions, the unity of the whole is preserved. Object Type: painting. Genre: Art Nouveau. Date: between 1898 and 1899. Place of creation: en:Fribourg, Switzerland. Dimensions: 4 strips à 670 × 70 cm (21.9 × 2.2 ft). Medium: stained glass. Collection: nave-aisle. Cathedral Fribourg vitrail Maertyrer 03
Loading...