"The series of stained glass windows by Jan De Caumont is a unique and exceptional ensemble. It is one of the most extensive collections of 17th century glass-in-lead in the Low Countries, which can be found at its original location, namely in Park Abbey, for which the panels were originally made. That two stained glass windows are ‘coming home’ after 200 years contributes significantly to the authenticity and the associated exceptional colour palette of the abbey,” says Dirk Vansina, alderman for restorations.
Over the course of time, these stained glass windows became scattered around the world, even making their way to England and America. Staff and volunteers at Park Abbey have been trying to trace the journey that they have made and to bring back as many of the panels as possible to their original location.
"Original stained glass windows from the 17th century are rarely offered for sale. We could not pass up this opportunity. The windows depict the life of Saint Norbertus, the founder of the Norbertine order. With these acquisitions, we are helping to give shape to the history of ideas surrounding the abbey and thus strengthen its heritage value", says Bert Cornillie, alderman of culture.
In the last decade of the 20th century, some stained glass windows already made their way back to Park Abbey. In 2013, this process was accelerated when the Flemish Community was able to recover eight stained glass windows from the collections of the University of Yale (USA). In 2016, the city of Leuven acquired six additional panels, this time from Washington. In the last few years, no additional panels came to light until this year when two side panels were put up for sale by a London art dealer. The panels depict Saint Evermodus and Saint Godesczo, and are a unique addition to the collection of glass-in-lead panels telling the life story of Saint Norbertus, the founder of the religious order.
To be admired as from 10 September
The two newly acquired panels will once again be on display at Park Abbey as from Open Monument Day on Sunday, 10 September. They have been placed next to the 20 glass-in-lead panels that have already been replaced. During Open Monument Day, which this year is dedicated to 'with heart and soul', additional information will be provided about the craft of stained glass windows, from design to execution. An expert will explain the stained glass windows and visitors will be able to take a closer look at the original design sketches. These sketches, also recognised as Flemish Masterpieces, will be exhibited exceptionally in combination with the panels on 10 September.
