Visitors to All Saints Chapel in the undercroft of Emmanuel Church are often struck by the unusual beauty of the altar and reredos there. They are the work of The Rev’d Dr. Johannes Adam Simon Oertel, an artist expert in several visual media during the second half of the 19th century. I have long known that, besides the original altar furnishings for (the second) Emmanuel Church he was responsible for the series of paintings above the altar at our neighbor church, St. Mary’s, Emmorton. I had also heard that his livelihood was derived primarily for his skill at engraving printing plates for currency.
I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, when an old friend of mine, The Rev’d Frank Dunn, called me to see if we could find a time for him to visit Emmanuel and look at Oertel’s work. His congregation in Washington, DC, has a chapel furnished by him as well, and a planned restoration program had led my friend to investigate the artist, and his work. In just a couple of evenings of internet research I have uncovered a wealth of information about this fascinating man — worth a couple of newsletter articles at least — and even downloaded a copy of the biography that Oertel’s son wrote eight years after his death.
Besides the altar, Oertel carved our Credence table, our pulpit and our lectern. It doesn’t take long to see themes and common elements among these works. It also doesn’t take long to understand that his aesthetic ranged far beyond creating things that were just useful and even beautiful.
The more I find out, the more impressed I am at his talent and the distinctive spirituality that filled his imagination. We are blessed to have so much of his work at Emmanuel Church, and I pray that you will look more carefully at the fruit of his labors and be inspired as I am.
The Rev’d Canon Dr. Mark Gatza,
Priest-in-Charge