Design for a Stained Glass Window or Frontispiece with the Arms of a Cleric 1655 - 1704

Editor: So this is "Design for a Stained Glass Window or Frontispiece with the Arms of a Cleric" from sometime between 1655 and 1704, by Johann Heiss. It's an ink drawing. I'm struck by how elaborate it is, and yet somehow, also quite somber. What do you see in this piece, that I might be missing? Curator: Well, darling, first off, doesn't it just smack of the Baroque period? The theatricality, the sheer exuberance of detail… It’s almost as if Heiss was trying to cram the entire celestial realm onto a single page! I feel this wonderful sense of spiritual drama in every line, every curve, don't you think? Look how he uses light and shadow—like he’s sculpting with ink. Are we looking at a celebration, or a reflection on mortality, or both at the same time? Editor: Definitely both! There's a celebratory image near the top, yet the skulls imply the ever-presence of death. That balance makes it so fascinating. Curator: Absolutely! The contrast! It’s a real memento mori, this piece. All these earthly achievements overshadowed, quite literally, by mortality. This angel hovering above, sheltering a coat of arms. Is she guarding earthly power, or simply a symbol of divine protection, or perhaps a reminder of judgement? Heiss leaves that open to our own musings. What do YOU feel she means? Editor: I didn't consider the judgement perspective. I like that much better. Curator: Good! It’s that invitation to question that really grabs me with Baroque art. Nothing is straightforward; everything's got layers and possibilities! Editor: It is rather inviting in its own way. Thanks, that gives me a totally different take! Curator: My pleasure! Sometimes it’s all about embracing the questions, the glorious ambiguities that art offers.