Grotesque with two cranes

This ornamental stained glass most probably originates from Brussels. It can be attributed to the stylistic epoch of Historicism, more precisely the Neo-Renaissance. Grotesques, ornamental arabesques surrounding fantastically designed animal and plant motifs, have their origins in antique Roman artworks that were rediscovered around 1500.
At first glance, the arabesques seem mirror images of each other. Slight differences can be made out in the handling of light and shadows, which enliven the stained glass. The precision with which the depiction was executed culminates in the lower half of the glass: the “ornament within the ornament” painted in schwarzlot (“black lead” enamel) is executed with remarkable accuracy, even including a shadow.

Two cranes are perched on the arabesques next to a bouquet of flowers. The crane – based on its natural behaviour – has been a symbol of vigilance and cleverness since antiquity. Christianity regards the long-legged bird as the embodiment of love and fidelity, because cranes are considered monogamous. The design, with their wings rolled up into volutes and the mirror image, also makes them appear as part of the ornament.

Such ornamental glass paintings often decorated the staircases or verandas of private residential buildings. They were particularly popular at the end of the 19th century. They represented a luxury, because the lengthy process of firing and fusing the enamels was very expensive compared to mosaic glazing, which usually remained unpainted.