The Annunciation

These roundels show five events in the life of Jesus: (1) the Virgin Mary being told she will be his mother; (2) his birth in a stable; (3)three magi (wise men) bringing him gifts; (4)his resurrection from the dead; and (5) the Last Judgment, when he will judge the living and the dead. In the 1400s and 1500s, southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were centers of innovation in stained glass. From the 1480s on, roundels were popular and often incorporated into larger glass windows. This and four other large roundels were likely made for the family chapel in a castle or palace. Their small, carefully executed details, visible only up close, could not have been appreciated in a large parish church or a cathedral.