Our Lady of Victory, Józef Mehoffer, between 1896 and 1898

In memory of the confessional wars of the old confederation, the window glorifies the victory of the confederates and their allies from fribourg over charles the bold at the battle of murten in 1476. Mehoffer stages the event as an image that encompasses all four panels of the window. The warriors appearing on the right are marked with their weapons and armour as old confederates. They lay down the flags of the burgundian army at mary's feet under the protection of the archangel michael. In the front line, a warrior with a white beard raises his sword to mary as a sign of victory and exults with joy. An angelic glory frames the dignified madonna in her ostentatious robe, while the angels appear lively. Below her, the equally splendidly dressed allegory of helvetia (patria), depicted as a supine figure, is presenting the laurel wreath to two honourations from fribourg. In the panes of the head zone, the allegorical figures of hope, faith, strength and love are reproduced. This window was commissioned by the state. Therefore, the two dignitaries, one of whom holds the coat of arms of fribourg, are dressed in modern clothing. In this way, the stained glass creates a link to the present. Although the heroic deeds of the ancestors, as they have been formed into myths by the modern nation state, are glorified, they are religiously exaggerated in the fribourg catholic sense. For the picture suggests to the viewer that the confederates had already officially placed themselves under the protection of mary in 1476 just as the people of fribourg did around 1650 when they donated the chapel of our lady of victory. In this way, the fribourg state demonstrates its reservations about the enlightenment-liberal federal state. Mehoffer succeeded in creating a convincing portrayal of patriotic feelings with this window. Object Type: painting. Genre: history painting. Date: between 1896 and 1898. Place of creation: en:Fribourg, Switzerland. Dimensions: 4 strips approximately à height: 670 cm (21.9 ft); width: 70 cm (27.5 in). Medium: stained glass. Collection: nave-aisle. Cathedral Fribourg vitrail Unsere Liebe Frau 01