Tag Archives: Abraham van Linge

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University College Chapel – Planning visit

Work started on Univ Chapel in 1639.  Inspired by the Dutch artist Abraham van Linge‘s windows in the chapels of Lincoln College and Queen’s College, together with Christ Church Cathedral, eight side windows and one grand east window was commissioned.

While the side windows were finished in 1641 (van Linge’s last windows in Oxford), the English Civil War interrupted further work and it was not until after the Restoration of the Monarchy that the chapel was consecrated (20 March 1666).

The east end of the chapel was captured in a photograph by William Fox Talbot shortly before an extensive refurbishment in the 1860’s that saw the installation of a new roof and east window.  More images can be seen in The Talbot Catalogue Raisonné.

University College Chapel - Fox Talbot.jpg

William Fox Talbot (1843) University College Chapel

Unfortunately, without further permission to access the Master’s Lawn, I am unable to recreate this image perfectly, which would have been a fitting touch.  However, my image below shows the significant alterations that were made to the chapel following Fox Talbot’s photograph.  That gives me an idea for another project: In the footsteps of Fox Talbot, recreating his Oxford portfolio.  Perhaps in another life.

Univ Chapel (low res).jpg

Van Linge (lr)Permission to photograph the chapel was  a long time coming, but I was granted permission for a planning visit on 10 October, spending some time appreciating the location and considering the options.  It is probable that in keeping with my recent work in Harris Manchester, I will capture some of the smaller lights within the east window in addition to one or two larger lights.  The perennial challenge of excluding large candelabras from the photographs will be a feature here, with two at a frustratingly low-level.

Univ (lr)

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University College Chapel

Best known for its windows by Dutch artist Abraham van Linge, it seems somewhat ironic that today’s visit saw me photograph none of those.  Sadly the lighting was too bright and harsh to capture any of the south windows and as a result of this, the north windows were too brightly lit internally by the other windows.

Univ - Chapel (low res)Univ - Chapel 02 (low res)

This only left me with the ‘new’ east window.  For the first time, I opted to capture all five of the main lights within the window as they tell the story of the crucifixion in its entirety.  In addition to this, and in keeping with most of my visits this Module, I photographed a number of the angels that make up the reticulated tracery at the top of the window.

Univ - Rose - Left Angel (low res)Univ - East Windows - Centre Angels (Low Res)Univ - Rose - Right Angel (low res)

Scenes from the Passion – Angles (Arthur & Michael O’Connor, 1864) University College Chapel

These images were shot at 400mm using the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, at an aperture of f/8.0 and exposure times ranging from 1/50 s to 1/2 s.  Currently I have yet to start editing the main lights, but will post an update once it is complete.

I plan to return to photograph other windows within the chapel when the light is more favourable, although am inclined to capture the Adoration of the Magi (Clayton & Bell, 1866) rather than one of the van Linge’s, since this will tie in with my plan to generate a supplemental portfolio of image appropriate for use in the production of a collection of Christmas cards.

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Christ Church Cathedral – The Jonah Window

I have not warmed very much to the van Linge windows I have witnessed thus far (New College Chapel and University College Chapel), but this window is fantastic – incredible detail and such vibrant colours for a work of art that is almost 400 years old.  The fact that it does exist is something of a miracle: Christ Church Cathedral once housed a magnificent collection of windows by Van Linge, but almost all of them were destroyed not long after installation in the fury of Puritan iconoclasm during the English Civil War.  Damage to this window is evident – the only calmes should be vertical and horizontal, but the web of other leadwork represents repairs to the panes of glass.

This edit is only partially complete as there is much cleaning still to do: once again this window seems to be home to many spiders and their webs feature heavily in the topmost light.  It is a window that I would much like to complete editing, but then the same is true of most of those within the cathedral.  Perhaps I can interest them in a the production of a publication as there is currently no guide to the windows (indeed, possibly no guide to the cathedral) once I have completed my Research Project.

Christ Church - Jonah and the City of Nineveh (low res)

Dominic Price (2019) Jonah and the City of Nineveh [Abraham van Linge, 1630 – Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford]

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The Chapel, Balliol College

It made sense to ‘reassemble’ two windows back into one to tell better the biblical story.  Thus the two separate images below will feature next to each other in the book.

The four lights that comprise the two windows on the northern side of the east end. These show the Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery (2 Kings 20:1, 2 Chronicles 32:24 and Isaiah 38:1) and were originally installed in the second chapel as a single window.

Inscription: (precluded from this image)
PETRUS WENTWORTH SACRAE THEOLOG. PROFESSOR ET HUJUS COLLEGII SOCIUS, D.D. 1637.
Peter Wentworth, Professor of Sacred Theology and Fellow of this College, Doctor of Divinity 1637.

EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  • 85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/25sec – 2.5sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 80 separate images.

615 - Balliol - Illness of King Hezekiah

Dominic Price (2019) Illness and Recovery of King Hezekiah [Abraham van Linge, 1637 – The Chapel, Balliol College]

615 - Balliol - Illness of King Hezekiah 2

Dominic Price (2019) Illness and Recovery of King Hezekiah [Abraham van Linge, 1637 – The Chapel, Balliol College]

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The College Chapel, The Queen’s College

While I have received permission to photograph the stained glass windows within the chapel, I am yet to receive permission to use them!  Notwithstanding, for this purpose I feel happy posting the edited image.

This window, to the right of the East Window illustrates an event in the life of Christ: The Ascension.  In keeping with all of the chapel’s medieval glass, the colours are bold with the people overshadowed by the swirling clouds and angels.  The lunette above the main scene (precluded from this image) depicts St Luke, The Last Supper and St John.  Located within the circular apse, the window is gently bowed, resulting in the seemingly curved horizontal tie bars within the image.

In addition to the usual corrective work, it seemed appropriate to remove the many repaired breaks within the window.  The before and after comparison is vivid:

Queens

Dominic Price (2019) The Ascension [Abraham van Linge, 1635 – The College Chapel, The Queen’s College]

EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  • 85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/40sec – 1.6sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 19 separate images.