Anton Wendling (1891-1965) ranks as one of the most outstanding artists in the field of 20th century stained glass. There are only few stained glass artists, whose works appear in a fascinating way current and timeless throughout several generations.

Being a student of Johan Thorn Prikker – who became famous due to his sensationally expressionistic windows of the early era and the late works, which are characterized by reduction, clarity and abstraction – Anton Wendling took up the new stimuli of modern stained glass artistry and developed them consistently. Through his work and his teaching he became an inspiring model for the following generation of stained glass artists which is still being active today. Indeed Anton Wendling could be described as a central key figure and mediator of modern age.

In Wendling’s work can be found one of the most succinct transfers of traditional religious content into a new, functional and clear, visual language which is purified of everything decorative. Close to the ideas of Ars Sacra, Wendling collaborated with the most significant architects of churches, amongst them Gottfried Böhm, Otto Bongartz, Clemens Holzmeister and Rudolf Schwarz.

After Anton Wendling first dedicated himself to woodcut and book illustration, the windows of the late Gothic monastery church Marienthal near Wesel (1926/27) mark the beginning of his success as stained glass artist. In the following period, especially his windows with figured motifs establish his reputation as extraordinary stained glass artist. They distinguish themselves through a strong tendency to simplification and geometrical form.

The composition is dominated by a mosaic-like small-patterned structure. Often the figures pictured in front-view remain in statuesque severity, like can be seen for example at the stained glass windows of the Luxembourgian cathedral “Unserer Lieben Frau” (1937).

The genuine power of stained glass artistry, according to Wendling, lies in its inconcrete, abstract-ornamental depictions as highest embodiment of the Immaterial and Spiritual. Wendling brilliantly masters the varied dealings with the abstract ornament, based on simple geometrical basic forms such as circle, rectangle and triangle. The four 27m high windows of the Gothic chancel in the Aachen Cathedral (1951) give evidence for his great capacity for understanding architecture and its interactions with light. They show that an ornamental composition with an additive repetition of forms does not amount to nothing more than breathless boredom, but instead has just the opposite effect. Through a sensitive, location-adjusted – seemingly varying infinitely – modulation of colour the window appears dynamic and soulful.  Reduction of form goes along with reduction of colour. Like at Aachen, numerous of Wendling’s window designs reveal his preference for fiery red and mystic blue as well as shades of grey between white and black.
Commissions by several bishoprics  for their cathedrals followed, amongst them Minden (1957), Mainz (1957) and Xanten (1962).

Beyond Germanys borders Wendling carries out several commissions during the 1950s-1960s. For the T.C. Esser Company, Stained Glass Studios, Milwaukee, he designs stained glass windows for a range of churches in the USA during work-stays of several months. To this era also belongs his window design for the Hiroshima Memorial Cathedral of World Peace. Further plans, amongst them for the Nagasaki Church of Martyrs and the Atomic Bomb Museum, ceased upon Wendling’s death on 13 January 1965.

With this exhibition and the accompanying catalogue, the German Museum of Stained Glass art in Linnich puts Anton Wendling’s stained glass windows, mosaics, designs and drawings into the focal point of contemplation. From the artists wide-ranging field of activity are shown selected designs for book covers, book plates, publisher’s marks, certificates, commercial art, jewellery,  furniture, paraments, vestments, chalices, candelabra, carpets and banners.

The exhibition was arranged in cooperation with Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum Aachen, Archiv des Erzbistums Köln, Stadtarchiv  Mönchengladbach,  Glasmalereiwerkstatt Hein Derix, Kevelaer, Glasmalereiwerkstatt Wilhelm Derix, Düsseldorf, Glasmalereiwerkstatt Dr. Heinrich Oidtmann, Linnich, Stiftung Forschungsstelle Glasmalerei des 20. Jh. e.V., Mönchengladbach, Kolpingfamilie Mönchengladbach and numerous private persons which donated items on loan.
Myriam Wierschowski


There is a exhibition-catalogue, price 28 €.


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