Scheibenriss mit Christus und dem ungläubigen Thomas 1572

This design for a stained-glass window, depicting Christ and doubting Thomas, was drawn around 1600 by Daniel Lindtmayer. The medium is ink on paper, and the technique is drawing. However, this drawing isn’t a free sketch; it is a complex transfer system, which would involve skilled glassmakers, glaziers, and painters. Each artisan needs to be competent to produce this drawing. Lindtmayer's drawing is a combination of freehand sketching, technical transfer, and the realities of production. Its formal aesthetic reflects the nature of the material and the collaborative process. There are elements of high art, for example the careful attention to the biblical subject matter, and elements of craft, which can be seen in the decoration. The image includes many other religious scenes within the border of the design. This drawing reminds us that even apparently straightforward images can be deeply embedded in complex social and economic systems of production, and that the traditional distinction between art and craft can obscure more than it reveals.