christel theunissen - late medieval choir stall makers of the low countries: skilled craftsmen and...

Late medieval choir stall makers of the Low Countries: skilled craftsmen and smart project managers

Christel Theunissen, MAc.theunissen@let.ru.nl

Walcourt, Sainte-Materne, misericord, 1510-1520 Lorris, Notre-Dame, misericord, 1500-1549

State Archive of Gent: 052 Convent of the Rich Clares. Gentbrugge and Gent, inv.no. 105

Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for

Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven

Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp

Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis de Smet

Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges

Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode

Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent

Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for

Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven

Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp

Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis de Smet

Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges

Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode

Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent

Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Diest, St. Sulpitius’ church, arm-rests, 1491-1493

Contract drawing for choir stalls of San Petronio, Bologna. Archivio storico della Fabbriceria, Basilia di San Petronio, Bologna (published in online dissertation: J. Allen, Choir stalls in Venice and Northern Italy, Warwick 2010, p. 441, fig. 96)

Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for

Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven

Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp

Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis de Smet

Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges

Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode

Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent

Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Leuven, St. Peter’s church, choir stalls (1439-1442) by Claes de Bruyn and Gort Gorys

Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for

Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven

Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp

Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis de Smet

Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges

Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot

Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode

Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent

Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

Oirschot, St. Peter’s church, situation in 1941

`s-Hertogenbosch, St. John’s church,choir stalls (1430-1460)

Pieter Saenredam, interior of St. John’s church from east to west, 1632. Lyon, Musée lyonnais des arts décoratifs, inv.no. 875a (published in: A.M. Koldeweij, De koorbanken in de St.-Janskathedraal te `s-Hertogenbosch, 1991, p. 17, fig. 4)

Digital reconstruction of the choir stalls, St. Peter’s church, Oirschot

Choir stalls (1508-1511) St. Peter’s church, Oirschot

Abbey of Averbode, choir stalls (1671-1673) by Octaaf Herri from Antwerp

Choir stalls of the abbey church of Averbode

October 1510 contract signed December 1510 ordering of woodMarch 1511 Jan Borchman starts working in AverbodeJune 1512 additional wood is bought in AntwerpOctober 1513 last payment is made, choir stalls ready and installed

complaints about the choir stallsJuly 1514 joiners from Roermond carry out repairsApril 1516 Thomas Janssoen carries out repairsApril 1517 Jan Borchman returns to Averbode and carries out repairsMarch 1518 last payment is made to Borchman

Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, choir stalls (1515)

Situation till 1910 in Aarschot (© KIK-IRPA, Brussel, obj.nr. 3788)

Seats placed against north wall

Reigate (Surrey), St. Andrew’s church on Gatton Park

Details dorsal panels and canopy (1515), St. Andrew’s church on Gatton Park

www.ru.nl/stalla

Oirschot, St. Peter’s Church, misericord (1508-1511)

Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, misericord (1515)

Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, misericord (1515)

Meisters der Apokalypenrose, metalcut print 1497-1500 (published in: I. Nettekoven, Der Meister der Apokalypsenrose der Sainte Chapelle und die Pariser Buchkunst um 1500, Turnhout 2004, p. 258, fig. 194)

Bristol, Cathedral, misericord, 1520Champeaux, Saint-Martin, misericord, 1522

Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, misericord (1515)

Meisters der Apokalypenrose, metalcut print 1497-1500 (collection author)

Oirschot, St. Peter’s Church, (1508-1511) Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, (1515)