Fragmenten karton voor het glasraam in de westgevel van Joris van Egmond (Bisschop van Utrecht 1535-1559) voor de Sint Bavo Kerk te Haarlem 1541

Editor: Here we have Gerrit Boels’s 1541 drawing, "Fragments of cardboard for the stained glass window in the west facade of Joris van Egmond." It’s a preparatory sketch done with ink on paper, right? What strikes me is the repeating arrangement of crests or shields – how do you interpret these recurring symbols? Curator: This work hums with inherited meaning. The shields you notice, crowned and presented as if on a triumphal column, speak to a specific form of identity in the Renaissance—noble lineage, yes, but more than that. Consider how heraldry functions as a visual language: each symbol—the lines, divisions, and figures within the shields—would be immediately readable to contemporaries, declaring allegiances, familial history, and even personal virtues. Editor: So it's a codified visual system meant to communicate on multiple levels. Does the repetition signify anything in particular? Curator: Repetition, in this case, might underscore the weight of tradition and the enduring power of these families or institutions. Think of how icons operate within a religious context: constant repetition reinforces belief and belonging. The very act of carefully rendering these heraldic devices—as Boels has done here—transfers a sense of authority and permanence. Consider what the planned context for this image may communicate. Editor: It’s intended for a stained glass window in a church—a setting for reflection and perhaps veneration of these figures? It certainly lends it a kind of cultural and spiritual weight. Curator: Precisely! Boels has masterfully translated potentially static heraldry into a dynamic declaration of historical and spiritual continuity. So much history conveyed through a single image. Editor: I never thought about heraldry as more than decorative—but seeing it as a layered, communicative tool definitely gives me a fresh perspective. Curator: It’s a reminder that even seemingly simple images can resonate with deep historical and cultural echoes.