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The original composition of Rathausen’s cloister, with its sixty-seven panels illuminating its walks, must have created an extraordinary space of prayer and meditation. The Baptism of Christ combines theology and personal expression as well as dramatic landscape imagery. The donor, Renward Göldlin (1531–1600), built a highly distinguished career. He was canon of the collegiate church of Beromünster in the canton of Aargau, since 1551, entering the priesthood in 1556. In 1574, he was named a Protonotary Apostolic, an office normally associated with a college of prelates in the Roman Curia, but which can be conferred by the Pope as a special honor to a prelate outside of Rome… Plus
The original composition of Rathausen’s cloister, with its sixty-seven panels illuminating its walks, must have created an extraordinary space of prayer and meditation. The Baptism of Christ combines theology and personal expression as well as dramatic landscape imagery. The donor, Renward Göldlin (1531–1600), built a highly distinguished career. He was canon of the collegiate church of Beromünster in the canton of Aargau, since 1551, entering the priesthood in 1556. In 1574, he was named a Protonotary Apostolic, an office normally associated with a college of prelates in the Roman Curia, but which can be conferred by the Pope as a special honor to a prelate outside of Rome. He became a member of the collegiate chapter of Basel in 1578, and Custos (superior) of this chapter in 1592. Due to the Protestant presence in Basel, the Basel chapter was then situated in Freiburg im Breisgau, where it remained until 1678 (Boesch, 1953b),pp. 91–96). A circular panel of 1578 shows St. Renward with the arms of Renward Göldli surrounded by a border depicting the Seven Sacraments (VAM_21; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2212-1855). His biographers characterized Göldlin as an effective agent for the Catholic Counterreformation in Switzerland.
The patron’s name saint, St. Renward, on the left, dressed in armor and holding a staff, is historically problematic. Göldlin’s book plate from the Dietenberer Bible in the collegiate library of Beromünster shows his patron with a halo inscribed S. RENWART REX PORTOCAL (Boesch, 1953b, p. 94, fig. 3). Further exploration of the saintly king of Portugal has not been fruitful. On the right is St. Michael, the champion of God’s heavenly host, who vigorously transfixes a spotted dragon. As explained in the Golden Legend, Michael can easily be seen as a perennial symbol of the vanquishing of those who set themselves against the wisdom of God (Ryan, 1993, vol. II, pp. 20, 201–211). Thus, a champion of the Counterreformation would see Michael defeating Satan as a metaphor for the struggle against the heresy of the Reformers. There is further testimony of Göldlin’s affection for the archangel, however, as he depicted him on a bookplate dated 1576 (Boesch, 1953b, p. 94, n. 8).
Cited in:
Garland sale, 1924, no. 338, illustration showing the window in its original casements
Hayward, 1989, pp.72–73.
Raguin, 2024, vol. 1, pp. 24–26, 165–70, 176–77.
Moins Datation
1594
Commanditaire / Donateur·trice
Localisation d'origine
Lieu de production
Propriétaire précédent·e
In 1841, Rathausen was suppressed and the windows were ordered sold. In 1853, the entire collection was purchased by James Meyer of St. Gall who split it, sending panels over time to sales in Vienna, London, Paris, and Berlin. The four at LACMA are recorded as remaining in St. Gall until 1890; they were subsequently in the collection of James A. Garland, Boston, until being sold to William Randolph Hearst at the Garland estate sale of 1924. Hearst gave them to the museum in 1943; they were accessioned in 1945.
Numéro d'inventaire
45.21.24
