Stained Glass: A Historical Overview
During the Gothic Era (the 12th century), stained glass windows were in prominent display in monumental and ornate cathedral designs. Starting with the St. Denis, innovative stained glass designs were implemented to enhance Christian's worship experience by bringing light inside the cathedrals both metaphorically and literally. At the time of the French Revolution, the majority of stained glass in the St. Denis Cathedral was broken or dismantled. Several completely intact stained glass windows as well as various fragments managed to be salvaged and placed on display throughout various locations in Europe.
The distinctive strong figures and identifiably bold lines of Gothic style stained glass gave way the Renaissance artists who created work with exquisite coloring showing more detail and displaying greater realism. Stained glass windows gradually became a canvas of light instead of an element of the architecture. However, the lead lines were eventually removed. With a multitude of stained glass pieces generated during this time period, including several masterpieces, the limitations of the medium did not meet the demands of the Renaissance era artists' expression for great detail. This resulted in true stained glass becoming a lost art.
Due the Roman Catholic Church's predominate use of stained glass, during the 1600's King Henry VII destroyed much of the treasured art form due to his break away from the Church. Precious stained glass windows were tumultuously destroyed as well as the glass making equipment. Religious conflict played a significant role in stained glass' decline. Also, the Baroque period emphasized finely detailed interiors and expansive wall paintings for which the architects required clear glass. The stained glass windows that remained were left without any care and fell into disrepair while new stained glass windows were rarely created.
As the Baroque period gave way again to the Gothic architecture style of the 17th century, the imaginations and hearts of the people sought to escape the difficult realities of life typified by factory factory work. A newed interest for stained glass came with the return of Gothic architecture. Initially, the technique of painting on glass was used by artists. However, the results of the pot metal glasses used by artists in medieval times proved superior. With no master stained glass artisans to provide apprenticeships, the lead line techniques were lost for a time while artist struggled to recreate the chemistry of the Gothic stained glass. This lost technique paired with a resistance to create lesser detailed scenes depicting modern figures resulted in a brand new design style: a blending of the new and old stained glass styles.
Two artisans of the 19th century, La Farge and Tiffany, were responsible for creating a new variation of opalescent stained glass. Tiffany could brag of bigger studio that reached beyond stained glass windows, such as the Tiffany lamp which enjoys widespread recognition, while La Farge gravitated toward window designs and architecture in a modest private studio. Stained glass artists of the modern era do not confine themselves by any religious themes or particular style. The artists of today often perform restoration work, as well as providing beautiful pieces for domestic settings on just about any budget. There are still stained glass artisans expressing themselves with new and innovative technique that add beauty to our surroundings.
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