Southern Germany, circa 1470-1480

Eduard Ritter von Grützner, Munich;
his estate sale, Hugo Helbing Munich, 24 June 1930, lots 212 and 213;
Geheimrat Ottmar Strauss, Cologne;
his forced sale, Hugo Helbing Munich, 21-24 May 1935, lots 279 and 280;
acquired by Irmgard von Lemmers-Danforth, Wetzlar;
Lemmers-Danforth Collection, Wetzlar, inv. nos. GE 10a, b;
restituted to the heirs of Ottmar Straus, 2017

W. Koeppe, Die Lemmers-Danforth Sammlung Wetzlar, Europäische Wohnkultur aus Renaissance und Barock, Heidelberg 1992, no. GE 10a, b

A condition report authored by Dr Heather Gilderdale Scott, Secretary to the Committee of the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (Medieval Stained Glass in Great Britain) is available upon request.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present panels show the donors of these windows in prayer, one a clergyman, the other a knight. Considering their comparable coats of arms, these two donors must have been members of the same family. Donating similar types of stained glass windows to churches, which would have been an expensive undertaking in the Middle Ages, was a popular way for an individual to ensure remembrance in the local community. Intended to encourage prayer for their souls, these panels could have been placed below a larger window, which probably showed a biblical scene. Although these donors have portrayed themselves on separate panels, there are instances where donors have inserted their own image within the traditional biblical scene - as is apparent, for instance, on the east window of Holy Trinity Goodramgate, York, where donor John Walker has portrayed himself on the central panel, next to a depiction of the Trinity. 

The present panels were once part of the collection of Munich painter Eduard von Grützner (1846-1925), where they were paired with a third panel from the same workshop, which location is now unknown. The inscriptions at the bottom of the panels might give some indication towards the identification of the donors, but they have not been firmly identified. 

A report authored by Dr Heather Gilderdale Scott, Secretary to the Committee of the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (Medieval Stained Glass in Great Britain) is available upon request.