Roundel with Ben-Hadid and the Siege of Samaria

Art Historical Context

This roundel, created around 1525 in South Netherlandish workshops, captures a dramatic moment from the Old Testament story of Ben-Hadad’s siege of Samaria. The scene includes soldiers, tents, cannons, and figures gathered around tables, reflecting the military and domestic details that would have resonated with 16th-century viewers familiar with both biblical narratives and contemporary warfare. Crafted from colorless glass painted with vitreous enamels and highlighted with silver stain, the roundel demonstrates the refined techniques popular in the Low Countries during the Northern Renaissance. Silver stain allowed artists to achieve luminous yellow and golden tones without adding separate colored glass, making these small-diameter works (just 8½ inches across) ideal for inserting into larger windows in churches, civic buildings, or private homes. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters Collection, the piece exemplifies how stained-glass roundels served as accessible storytelling devices. They brought vivid biblical episodes into everyday spaces while showcasing the technical skill and narrative imagination of Netherlandish glass painters.