Museum Prinsenhof Delft has acquired a hitherto unknown, ‘royal’ stained glass window by Max Nauta from 1936 at an auction. Depicted is the baptism in 1584 of Frederik Hendrik, the youngest son of William of Orange. In the man-sized window we see his mother Louise de Coligny with the newborn on her arm. It concerns a fragment from the much larger Prince’s window on the north side of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft and it is probably a trial version. Due to this link with Delft, the purchase enriches the historical heritage of the city. After an intensive restoration, it will now be given a place in the permanent collection presentation Willem van Oranje is here!
Janelle Moerman, director of Museum Prinsenhof Delft: “The window depicts an important episode in the life of William of Orange, namely the baptism of his son Frederik Hendrik in the Nieuwe Kerk, but then seen from the perspective of the wife and mother. Imaginations of women are scarce in our collection. With this purchase we are adding a portrait of Louise de Coligny to the collection. It is a line that we want to continue into the future.” The Dutch artist and glazier Max Nauta (1896-1957) had the window manufactured by the firm of Schrier en De Ru in Haarlem. His mother and wife, Lenie Nauta-Kettner, model for the two ladies-in-waiting standing behind Louise de Coligny. The existence of the window was hitherto unknown. The collection of Museum Prinsenhof Delft already contains a drawn preliminary study for the same window part. This was donated to the museum by Nauta’s descendants a few years ago and will be presented alongside the new acquisition for four months. Important asset In addition to being an important asset to the Orange collection, the window is also an interesting addition to the glass sub-collection. The museum already owns a number of stained glass windows related to William of Orange, such as the stained glass window with medallion portrait of Willem van Oranje by Johan Hendrik Sikemeier from 1934. The Vorstinnenraam is part of a series of seven windows that were donated to the Nieuwe Kerk by the Delft Women’s Committee in 1936. The window symbolizes motherly love within the Oranje-Nassau house. 1st December 2021
