The History of Stained Glass Windows

The art of stained glass windows has changed greatly over time, from the Greco-Roman civilizations to the most recent American style. It can be traced back to the Greco-Roman civilization. Based on the remains of Pompeii and Heraculaneum, stained glass was a domestic luxury for wealthy Romans, rather than an art form. When the Greco-Roman civilization collapsed, the tradition of stained glass survived and eventually spread throughout Europe. Much of what we know today about the early production of stained glass windows comes from the book “Schedula diversarum atrium,” written by the monk Theophilus. This book dates back to the end of the eleventh century. It gives a detailed description of the process for making of a stained glass window. Although new technologies have been developed over the years to improve the art of stained glass windows, the same basic method that Theophilus describes is still used today.
The early period of stained glass production was from about 1000– 1500 A.D. This was during the Gothic Age, and thus, stained glass windows that were created during this time are in the Gothic style. The construction of new churches is what launched the production stained glass windows during this time. The Gothic age produced many of the great cathedrals of Europe, and stained glass windows, as we know them, started to be created to fill these new cathedrals. Medieval craftsman during the Gothic age were more interested in illustrating an idea than creating natural or realistic images. Many of the images were abstract. Also, there was often severe frontality of the image being depicted. Craftsman of the Gothic period could only make small panes of glass, about the size of a hand, so the windows resembled a mosaic. Many of the windows were not painted at all during this time. If the window was painted, the only color available was grey, which was applied by the painter, and was then fixed by a process of enameling. The painters usually used this grey color to draw finer outlines, ornaments, and smaller folds of drapery onto the window. Paintwork was often crude and unsophisticated during the Gothic period. Producing a specific color was not an easy task for glass craftsman. During this time, the heat of the furnace was what determined the color of the glass, and since the temperature of the furnace was hard to regulate, it was difficult to produce any specific color. The principle colors that were used during the Gothic period are red, green, blue, and yellow.
Near the end of the Gothic period, there were two discoveries that took the art of stained glass windows to a new level, namely silver stain and the abrasion of flashed glass. With these new discoveries, stained glass craftsman were now able to do several things that before they could not do. Stained glass craftsman of this time were constantly coming up with new combinations, and thus, more intricate windows. Skill level was also increasing during this time, and stained glass craftsman were able to produce larger panes of glass, which also enhanced their artistic ability. More information about these specific discoveries and the history of stained glass windows is available at the D.C. Riggott website.

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