Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabee Brothers and Their Mother

Designed and executed by Dirck Vellert Netherlandish
ca. 1530–35
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520
The Old Testament tells the horrific story of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes murdering a Jewish family for their refusal to eat pork, a narrative of religious persecution that would have resonated with many groups in sixteenth-century Northern Europe. In his rendering, celebrated Antwerp artist Vellert relegated the gruesome subject matter to the background while showcasing his mastery of figural narrative and technical dexterity in stained glass. Vellert’s windows were once found in the cities Mechelen, Lübeck, and Antwerp, but most documented examples have been destroyed.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabee Brothers and Their Mother
  • Artist: Designed and executed by Dirck Vellert (Netherlandish, Amsterdam (?) ca. 1480/85–ca. 1547)
  • Date: ca. 1530–35
  • Culture: Flemish, Antwerp
  • Medium: Stained glass
  • Dimensions: Overall: 27 3/4 × 18 1/2 in. (70.5 × 47 cm);
    Framed (confirmed): 28 1/2 × 19 5/16 × 5/8 in. (72.4 × 49.1 × 1.6 cm)
  • Classification: Glass-Stained
  • Credit Line: Mr. and Mrs. Isaac D. Fletcher Collection, Bequest of Isaac D. Fletcher, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.120.12
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
Allegory of Rout and Pillage, Dirck Vellert Netherlandish, Colorless glass, vitreous paint and silver stain, Flemish
Allegory of Rout and Pillage
Style of Dirck Vellert
ca. 1520
The Entombment, School of Antwerp South Netherlandish, Oak, South Netherlandish
The Entombment
School of Antwerp
early 16th century
Theodosius Arrives at Ephesus, from a Scene from the Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, Pot-metal glass, vitreous paint, French
Theodosius Arrives at Ephesus, from a Scene from the Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
French
ca. 1200–1210
Shrine, Matthias Walbaum German, Ebony, silver, gilded silver, gouache on parchment, German, Augsburg
Shrine
Matthias Walbaum
Miniatures by Anton Mozart
1598–1600
Roundel with Saint John on Patmos with Apocalyptic Vision, Dirck Vellert Netherlandish, Colorless glass, vitreous paint and silver stain, South Netherlandish
Roundel with Saint John on Patmos with Apocalyptic Vision
Style of Dirck Vellert
1520–30

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.