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| Choir hall |
Have you ever gazed up in a church and stared at the stained glass that adorned the ceiling? Have you wondered how it was made or invented? Stained glass is an artwork that has dazzled us all throughout the ages.
Colored glass has been produced since the ancient times. The Romans and Egyptians manufactured many small glass objects such as vases, trinkets, or beads. Phoenicia was the main glass producer and spread the idea of glass making throughout the world. The origin of stained glass started in Syria during the Islamic period. They developed gilded glass that led to the production of stained glass.
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| Alabaster window |
Indication of the first stained glass windows come from the 7th century when Saint Benedict Biscop hired a Frenchman to glaze the windows of his monastery. In the 4th and 5th century, early Christian churches had windows of thinly sliced alabaster, so the windows looked like stained glass but in shades of brown. Stained glass windows did not appear in churches until the introduction of gothic cathedrals.
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| Rose Window |
Stained glass gained popularity in the Middle Ages, when it was used in Christian cathedrals and churches. This unique art form was used as an illustration to show scenes in the Bible, like the Garden of Eden or the Saint Mary. Stained glass quickly spread throughout Europe, as windows became larger and more elaborate. In France, a circular window, called the rose window, was developed. It was built of linked windows for a mandala effect.
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| Classical Style |
There were two main styles that were used in the Middle Ages: Gothic and Classical stained glass. Classical glass was influenced by the Gothic style. Gothic was a form that used vibrant colors and usually depicted figures of Christ, framed in floral patterns and designs. Classical stained glass used a more mellow color scheme, and the pictures were more refined.
Stained glass lost its demand during the Reformation and the French Revolution. Many windows were smashed by protestants and being replaced with plain glass ones. The French Revolution caused the destruction and neglect of many stained glass pieces. The Dissolution of Monasteries was especially damaging to the tradition of making stained glass. Because they were “abused images”, Henry VIII destroyed thousands of windows. Only a handful of windows stayed intact. The traditional practice of stained glass was lost and would not be rediscovered until the 19th century.
Thank you for such an interesting piece. I too hope that stained glass never disappears!
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to learn about how stained glass was made—so interesting to think about its history and important cultural role through the ages.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear aquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you explained how far the history of stained glass goes back. It is a very interesting post, especially the part about how stained glass is made. One question that I have is how expensive is it to make stained glass?
-KB Blogger
Dear K B Blogger,
DeleteMaking stained glass nowadays is a lot less expensive than the Middle Ages. The most costly material of making stained glass was probably the glass. Glassmaking was a closely guarded secret during the 9th century when it was first discovered. Opaque and colored glass was common, but the real treasure was the crystal-like glass that was absolutely clear with no bubbles or crackles. Glassmakers worked like prisoners in Cyprus and other secluded areas. Eventually, glass production spread throughout the world, and the rest is history. staining the glass took moderately expensive glass paint, like silver nitrate or crushed bronze shavings.
Today you can buy a startup kit for maybe $200-$500 dollars, but they already include designs and frames. Professionals have to design and make the window first, before starting on the actual painting. They have to solder lead bars together (or copper foil) and fit glass panes within the bars.
Stained glass production ranges $80-$500 per square foot- pretty big price range.
aquaSongbird
AquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, stained glass is a beautiful artwork full of history and stories! Beautiful blog post, I love the attention to detail, and I enjoyed reading how stained glass was made! Do we make a lot of stained glass today, or is the glass we see in Churches and other religious places from a long time ago?
Sometimes the most vague artworks hold the most meaning,
-Flexi
Dear Flexi_Ally_Kat,
DeleteStained glass today uses modern style glass. Modern style consists of many different types of designs: opalescent, bubbly, baroque, scribed antique, cathedral, cat's paw, cracked, drapery and much more. Modern glass is abstract instead of depicting bible scenes.
aquaSongbird
AquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteYes!, stained glass is beautiful and full of stories! This post is very informative, and shows great vivid pictures! Do you have a favorite stained glass?
Nice job!
-Lion
Dear Lion,
DeleteMy favorite styles of stained glass are water glass and iridescent. Water glass has a texture of "ripples" and bumps to resemble water. It is made by stretching hot glass while it is still soft. Iridescent glass has layers of metallic monoxide that were bonded with sheets of cooling glass. It creates a delicate butterfly wing effect and looks just like angel wings!
aquaSongbird
Dear AquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteI love this blog post! Is there a place in particular at which you were fascinated by the stained glass? The stained glass I really think represents a story is the one at the beginning of Beauty and the Beast.
Thanks!
-Slughater
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDear Slughater,
DeleteI visited the Washington National Cathedral last year, and the stained glass art there was amazing! The windows mostly showed floral patterns and abstract shapes though, not many biblical scenes.
You're right! Beauty and the Beast used stained glass as a storytelling device, just like medieval churches! From my observations, the stained glass they used was opalescent gothic style.
aquaSongbird
Hello AquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteWow Stained glass is wonderful!
I was wondering do you have a personal connection with stained glass? for example, you religious beliefs?
Thanks,
bumpsetspike
Dear AquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cool topic that you wrote on! I really love the way that you presented stained glass. Do you have a favorite kind of stained glass? If so which kind of stained glass?
-Cupcakes
Dear AquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog about stained glass. I didn't know how many types of stained glass there were. Have you ever made stained glass? if so what did you make.
From,
nog123
Dear nog123,
DeleteNo, I have never made stained glass. I've painted it, but it was plastic...
aquaSongbird
aquaSongbird,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog. Stained glass is such a unique artwork! Have you ever made stained glass?
-Ava
Hi aquaSongBird,
ReplyDeleteI loved how you talked about when stained glass was first used. It really amazes me all the different designs you see. All the colors are so amazing. Do you own any stained glass?
Great Job!
- JPLAX