Window Panel Fragment with Armored Saint

This fragment of a stained glass window depicts one of several armored saints often illustrated during the Renaissance. St. Maurice, a soldier who was in the army of the Emperor Maximian (d. 310 CE), led a group of insurgent soldiers who refused to worship pagan gods. In this glass panel, he carries a shield that is painted in blue and white (the colors of Lucerne), demonstrating the clear and simple patterns that made early heraldry effective. Although the development of heraldic insignia postdated Maurice, the maker of this glass panel presented Maurice as a contemporary knight. The style of the armor visible is that associated with 15th-century German armor often called "gothic," after the architectural style that featured arched, angular shapes.