Christel Theunissen - Late medieval choir stall makers of the Low Countries: skilled craftsmen and smart project managers

1. Late medieval choir stall makers of the Low Countries:
skilled craftsmen and smart project managers
Christel Theunissen, MA
c.theunissen@let.ru.nl

2. Walcourt, Sainte-Materne, misericord, 1510-1520 Lorris, Notre-Dame, misericord, 1500-1549

3. State Archive of Gent: 052 Convent of the Rich Clares. Gentbrugge and Gent, inv.no. 105

4. Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for
Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven
Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp
Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis
de Smet
Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges
Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode
Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent
Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne
Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

6. Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for
Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven
Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp
Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis
de Smet
Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges
Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode
Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent
Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne
Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

7. Diest, St. Sulpitius’ church, arm-rests, 1491-1493

8. Contract drawing for choir stalls of San Petronio, Bologna.
Archivio storico della Fabbriceria, Basilia di San Petronio, Bologna
(published in online dissertation: J. Allen, Choir stalls in Venice and Northern Italy, Warwick
2010, p. 441, fig. 96)

9. Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for
Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven
Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp
Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis
de Smet
Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges
Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode
Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent
Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne
Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

10. Leuven, St. Peter’s church, choir stalls (1439-1442) by Claes de
Bruyn and Gort Gorys

11. Name of the craftsman Located at Contract signed Mentioned in the contract as Choir stalls for
Peter Huldegaerden Leuven 8 May 1481 joiner St. Jacob's church, Leuven
Cornelis de Gheet Antwerp 29 November 1501 woodcarver Carthusian monastery, Antwerp
Sebastiaan de Witte & Cornelis
de Smet
Bruges 27 June 1505 carpenter & woodcarver St. Donatian's church, Bruges
Gilles van Dickele Gent 30 April 1506 woodcarver and joiner St. Clare's convent, Gentbrugge
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 29 June 1508 joiner St. Peter's church, Oirschot
Jan Borchman Eindhoven 30 October 1510 joiner Abbey church of Averbode
Hendrik Mouwe Leuven 29 December 1511 woodcarver Parish church, Herent
Willem Savarij Veurne 21 February 1519 craftsman St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne
Jacob and Joris de Hoossche Diksmuide 21 February 1519 woodcarvers St. Nicholas' abbey, Veurne

12. Oirschot, St. Peter’s church, situation in 1941

13. `s-Hertogenbosch, St. John’s church,
choir stalls (1430-1460)

14. Pieter Saenredam, interior of St. John’s church
from east to west, 1632. Lyon, Musée lyonnais des
arts décoratifs, inv.no. 875a (published in: A.M.
Koldeweij, De koorbanken in de St.-Janskathedraal te `s-
Hertogenbosch, 1991, p. 17, fig. 4)

15. Digital reconstruction of the choir stalls, St. Peter’s church, Oirschot

16. Choir stalls (1508-1511) St. Peter’s church, Oirschot

18. Abbey of Averbode, choir stalls (1671-
1673) by Octaaf Herri from Antwerp

19. Choir stalls of the abbey church of Averbode
October 1510 contract signed
December 1510 ordering of wood
March 1511 Jan Borchman starts working in Averbode
June 1512 additional wood is bought in Antwerp
October 1513 last payment is made, choir stalls ready and installed
complaints about the choir stalls
July 1514 joiners from Roermond carry out repairs
April 1516 Thomas Janssoen carries out repairs
April 1517 Jan Borchman returns to Averbode and carries out repairs
March 1518 last payment is made to Borchman

21. Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, choir stalls (1515)

22. Situation till 1910 in Aarschot (© KIK-IRPA, Brussel,
obj.nr. 3788)
Seats placed against north wall

23. Reigate (Surrey), St. Andrew’s church on Gatton Park

24. Details dorsal panels and canopy (1515), St. Andrew’s
church on Gatton Park

25. www.ru.nl/stalla

26. Oirschot, St. Peter’s Church, misericord (1508-1511)
Aarschot, Church of Our
Lady, misericord (1515)

27. Aarschot, Church of Our Lady,
misericord (1515)
Meisters der Apokalypenrose, metalcut print
1497-1500 (published in: I. Nettekoven, Der Meister
der Apokalypsenrose der Sainte Chapelle und die Pariser
Buchkunst um 1500, Turnhout 2004, p. 258, fig. 194)

28. Bristol, Cathedral, misericord, 1520Champeaux, Saint-Martin, misericord, 1522
Aarschot, Church of Our Lady,
misericord (1515)
Meisters der Apokalypenrose, metalcut print 1497-1500
(collection author)

29. Oirschot, St. Peter’s Church, (1508-1511) Aarschot, Church of Our Lady, (1515)