Abraham van Linge (

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1625–41) and his eldest brother Bernard van Linge (1598 – c. 1644) were window painters from

Emden Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...

East Frisia East Frisia () or East Friesland (; ; ; ) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisia (peninsula), East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia and to the ...

, where their father and grandfather were glaziers.Alexander Faludy
Linge, Bernard van
entry in the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'' They completed the bulk of their work in England between the 1620s and the 1640s. They painted at a time when

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

was losing popularity in favour of their method, the usage of

vitreous enamel Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by melting, fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between . The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitrification, vitreous coating. The wo ...

s on glass as a blank canvas and then fired. Lead lining is used to hold together pieces of glass. The duration and intensity of the firing determined the final colour along with the colour and type of enamel. Bernard van Linge worked in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

from 1617 to 1621. When religious conflicts broke out in France, he fled to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

around 1621, where he quickly found employment in a glazier's studio through connections in the Dutch expatriate community. Abraham joined him around 1623. Abraham van Linge must have been born in 1604–5, as he was aged 29 when he was matriculated at the University of Oxford as a privileged person on 4 July 1634, with his profession given as "Artis Peritus" (art expert). His work can be seen in the chapels of

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassi ...

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Flemin ...

, and at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, in

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, where the lead lining is particularly noticeable.''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 'Stained Glass', 'Periods and centres of activity » 17th and 18th centuries'
/ref> His work is supposedly in the Duke Humfrey reading room of the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

, also in

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, though it is uncertain whether the painted glass frames are by him or executed in his style.

References

Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Dutch painters Dutch male painters Dutch glass artists People associated with Christ Church, Oxford People associated with University College, Oxford British stained glass artists and manufacturers Dutch enamellers 17th-century enamellers Painters from Emden People associated with Lincoln College, Oxford {{Glass-art-stub