Illuminating exhibition
It may be taken from the Catholic Old Testament story but the first work encountered in this illuminating exhibition doesn't look as if it belongs in any ecclesiastical setting. Tobias And Sarah On Their Wedding Night (pictured) features a post-nuptial scene: a newly married couple asleep. The dazzling blue bedding and the luxurious red velvety folds of the curtain are offset by the comfy slippers and the dog curled up on the bed.
Sarah's previous seven bridegrooms died on their wedding night but Tobias avoids this fate by following the advice of Archangel Raphael to not consummate the marriage for three days. It's a work that charmingly illustrates that stained glass from the 15th and 16th centuries was not just for churches but was often commissioned privately.
The stained glass panels from the V&A are shown alongside the National Gallery's own collection of German paintings from the same period, depicting the same Biblical scenes. It ends with a recreation of a 15th century six-panelled window from Mariawald Abbey in Germany. Beautifully backlit, it's just what you'd expect to find in a cathedral. Though you might be better placed to appreciate it in a more awe-inspiring setting than the National Gallery, it dazzles all the same.
Until Feb 17, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square WC2, daily 10am to 5.50pm (Wed until 8.50pm), free. Tel: 020 7747 2885. Tube: Charing Cross
Art Of Light: German Renaissance Stained Glass
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
