Legend of St. Eustace - Saint-Étienne de Beauvais

walwyn Sun, 11/13/2011 - 17:53
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Scenes from the Life of St. Eustace, French renaissance stained glass

 

Dated 1554 this window depicts scenes from the Life of St Eustace.

 

According to a legend from the seventh cenury, St Eustace was a Roman in the time of Hadrian (188 AD), who whilst hunting, saw a vision of Christ between the antlers of a stag. He then became baptised along with the rest of his family. Through many difficulties his family is scatters but is later reunited. For refusing to make a sacrifice to the Roman gods, he is supposed to have suffered death by being placed in a heated brazen bull.

 

St. Eustace and stag, French renaissance stained glass

 

In this panel is shown the vision of St Eustace and the stag. The draper Eustace Cross, and his wife Françoise de Nully were the donor of this window, and are shown kneeling before the saint who is raising his arms in wonder.