Wouter Pietersz Crabeth (1510–1590) was a

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

glass painter. He was employed by the

Sint Janskerk (Gouda) The Sint Janskerk in Gouda, South Holland, Gouda, the Netherlands, is a large Gothic architecture, Gothic church, known especially for its stained glass windows, for which it has been placed on the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites, list of the top 10 ...

during the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

, where he created six of the stained glass windows during the years 1555 to 1571. His windows, that he created in close collaboration with his brother

Dirk Crabeth Dirk (or Dirck) Pietersz Crabeth (1501 – 1574) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter, tapestry designer, and mapmaker. He was employed by the Janskerk (Gouda) during the 16th century, where he created eight of the stained glass windows durin ...

, are one of the reasons that the church was placed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

list of monuments.

Biography

He and his brother Dirk were the sons of Pieter Dirckz of Gouda.Bio sketch on Wouter
in the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...

of Amsterdam They came from a painting family that was employed in the

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 ...

industry of Gouda. Archival evidence survives today showing orders of glass panes from various Netherlands towns. Wouter's fame began when his brother became head builder in charge at the Janskerk, and he was hired to help with the window design for an ambitious series of windows depicting the life of St. John the Baptist. Wouter probably assisted his brother from 1555 onwards, but he only signed his own work after he took a trip to Italy, which made him a master painter in his own right. His paintings show better skill at perspective, and he often included architectural backgrounds that accentuated this. According to Houbraken, his work gave the viewer the impression of height, while Dirk's work gave the impression of depth.''Het geen Dirk doet door zyn diepzels, werkt Wouter uit door zyn hoogzels.'' - quote by Houbraken i
Dirk en Wouter Crabeth biography
in ''De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen'' (1718) by

Arnold Houbraken Arnold Houbraken (28 March 1660 – 14 October 1719) was a Dutch people, Dutch Painting, painter and writer from Dordrecht, now remembered mainly as a biographer of Dutch Golden Age painters. Life Houbraken was sent first to learn ''threadt ...

, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature His brother had no children, but Wouter had at least one son named Pieter, who became a mayor of Gouda. He in turn had a son, also named Wouter Pietersz, who became a painter like his namesake. This grandson Wouter Crabeth II also travelled to Italy, like his grandfather did before him. He also had a granddaughter by his son Pieter, named Maria Crabeth, who later married

Reinier van Persijn Reinier van Persijn (1615 – 23 November 1668) was a Dutch Golden Age engraver of portraits and bookplates. Biography According to Houbraken, who called him ''Reynier van Parzyn'', he was married to the granddaughter of the stained glass pai ...

, the painter and engraver from Alkmaar. He would die in 1590 from tuberculosis.

Wouter's stained glass windows in the Sint Janskerk of Gouda and Museum Gouda

File:Geboorteglas.jpg, Nativity scene (birth of Christ) File:Margarete von Parma.jpg,

Margaret of Parma Margaret (; 5 July 1522 – 18 January 1586) was Duchess of Parma from 1547 to 1586 as the wife of Duke Ottavio Farnese and Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582. She was the illegitimate daughter of Ch ...

File:Gouda-Sint-Janskerk-Glas23-oben.jpg, ''glass 23'' Elijah's sacrifice on Mount Carmel File:Gouda-Sint-Janskerk-Glas23-mitte.jpg, ''glass 23'' Jesus washing the feet of the disciples File:Gouda-Sint-Janskerk-Glas12.jpg, The adoration of the shepherds File:Glasruitje, Wouter Pieterz Crabeth (I).jpg, Museum Gouda. Resurrecting Christ triumphs over death, sin and evil 1560–1570

Legacy

The stained glass windows of Gouda are famous, but this is not only for their beauty. It remains a mystery today why these stained glass windows survived the

Beeldenstorm ''Beeldenstorm'' () in Dutch and ''Bildersturm'' in German (roughly translatable from both languages as 'attack on the images or statues') are terms used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th centu ...

and why Wouter and his brother were allowed to continue their work after the changeover from a Catholic church to a Protestant one. The church has windows from both of the enemies

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

and

William the Silent William the Silent or William the Taciturn (; 24 April 153310 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange (), was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburg Netherlands, Habsburgs that set off the ...

. Houbraken wrote two pages about the brothers Dirk and Wouter Crabeth in his '' Schouburgh'' (1718), since he was surprised they were overlooked in

Karel van Mander Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander IKarel van Mander
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History ...

's ''

Schilder-boeck or is a book written by the Flemish writer and painter Karel van Mander first published in 1604 in Haarlem in the Dutch Republic, where van Mander resided. The book is written in 17th-century Dutch and its title is commonly translated into En ...

'', who only mentioned their brother

Adriaen Pietersz Crabeth Adriaen Pietersz Crabeth (1510 —1553) was a Renaissance glass painter from the Habsburg Netherlands. Life Crabeth was born in Gouda, South Holland, Gouda. According to Karel van Mander, he had been the pupil of the glass painter Jan Swart van ...

. Van Mander also mentioned that the father of this Adriaen was called ''Krepel Pieter'' and that he died in

Autun Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...

(known then for its stained glass windows in the Cathedral) after travelling for a long time in France.
Desen Swart Ian had een Discipel geheeten Ariaen Pietersz Crabeth: zijn Vader hiet Krepel Pieter.
' quote by Van Mander in his Schilderboeck

References

External links

Website of the St. Janskerk in Gouda with windows online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crabeth, Wouter Van 1510 births 1590 deaths Dutch Renaissance painters Artists from Gouda, South Holland Painters from South Holland Sibling artists Catholic decorative artists Catholic stained glass artists