Saint Lawrence

The pilgrimage church of Saint Leonhard in Lavanttal (Austria) was built in the early decades of the fourteenth century, and about 140 medieval stained-glass panels can still be found in the church today. In the 1920s and 1930s, the church sold several panels to raise funds for necessary repairs. The Met acquired seventeen panels from the church in the 1960s. They are now installed in three lancet windows in the Gothic Chapel at The Met Cloisters. The panels are notable for their legible iconography and vibrant hues. The heavy lines of the figures contrast with the intricate keyhole medallions and colorful floral backgrounds. The saints featured throughout the program stand out against their decorative frames.

The panels were likely created by a travelling workshop based in the nearby town of Judenburg. The various hands and styles of the different craftspeople can be discerned in the subtle variations on common themes. The Judenburg workshop relied on a limited set of cartoons, or full-scale reusable drawings that outlined poses, facial features, and shading, to create their standard repertoire of figures. This is why so many of the saints appear visually similar; they were made using a shared set of designs.

Unlike other saints in the St. Leonhard windows who have few identifying features, Saint Lawrence holds a very specific attribute: the gridiron. According to medieval tradition, Saint Lawrence’s visceral torture culminated in being roasted alive, and he frequently appears alongside the instrument of his martyrdom. His right hand holds a palm frond, the universal symbol of a martyr’s victory over earthly torture.