Thorn-Prikker, Jan

Jan Thorn-Prikker, byname of Johan Thorn-prikker, (born June 5, 1868, The Hague—died March 5, 1932, Cologne), Dutch painter, designer, and decorator in the Art Nouveau style. He was an important figure in modern religious art, best known for his use of symbolism in stained-glass windows.

Thorn-Prikker’s student work was impressionistic, and he also assimilated the contemporary influences of various Symbolist groups. In 1891–93 he exhibited with Les Vingt (The Twenty), a group of Belgian painters who emphasized the spiritual aspects of Symbolist art. With Jan Toorop and Henry van de Velde, prominent fellow members of the group, he brought to Symbolist concerns the elegant linear stylization of Art Nouveau.

Thorn-Prikker’s work is generally more abstract and tranquil than that of his associates. A notable painting is “The Bride” (1893). Particularly in his stained glass designs, he pioneered the expression of Christian themes in a modern idiom. From 1904 he taught and worked in Germany, designing mosaic murals, textiles, and stained glass.