On the Meaning of the Design
of the Glass Front of the Fürstenwald Cemetery Chapel in Chur

In Leta Peer's work, several layers of images and meanings enter into a dialogue. In the consciously chosen iconography of the Fürstenwald chapel, different culture spaces, different religions come together. The way the design of the glass front is constructed, Sandro Botticelli's "Madonna of the Sea" appears as the foundational composition: the figure from Christian iconography frames the other motifs, thus becoming the most important carrier of meaning.
The artist purposely chose a symmetrical composition for the depiction of the other world religions, which are visually borne by the "Madonna of the Sea". A negative space characterizes the center of the design, suggesting the structure of a Jewish candleholder. In this negative space, there is a motif from Indian culture. The "Meditating Youth" from the 2nd/3rd century stands for a world that Buddha encountered. "Kubera, the God of Wealth", a Hindu motif from the 9th century meets the faience mosaic of the King's Hall of the Alhambra. Another negative space appears in the area of the Islamic-Hindu religions: the end of a Greek pillar grows into the picture and indicates other religions of the world not mentioned in the glass window, in which multiple deities are revered.
The formal aspect plays an important role in Leta Peer's artistic work. The juxtaposition and overlapping of various picture motifs allows for associations and comparisons. The Latin text "Omnia Cui Cedunt, Divino Cedat Amori", i.e. "What happens to us in life also happens to the gods in love", is an allusion to death, which is also linked to consolation in the different religions. The title of this glass window is written in small letters on the lower right, at the edge of the composition.

Hedy Graber, art historian and art critic, Basel.