Having recently returned from a trip to Madrid, I found myself still marveling over the brilliant colors I had seen there, most evident in the city’s cathedrals, which displayed gorgeous stained glass tributes to all the familiar figures of the Catholic church. I’ve always had an affinity for stained glass, most specifically the Art Deco period, which you can see examples of in the pictures below. While most people think of stained glass as something you really only find in churches, in reality its had a much more diverse spread, finding its beginnings as far back as the 4th century.

by Atelier Teee

Creating stained glass is a daunting task, as there are several major steps to completing such a piece of art and require to maker to be equal parts artisan and craftsman. The glass itself would be colored using metallic salts during its manufacturing process, then artfully arranged between lead strips to hold together the design. These windows can also be created by painting a design on and having the glass annealed in a furnace to set the colors. The first method is the more revered, although both are still considered stained glass. These windows were incredibly durable, some of them lasting hundreds of years ( in Western Europe, stained glass windows from the Middle Ages are the major form of pictorial art to have survived to this day.)

Stained glass found its beginnings in clay pots, where it was mixed with metal oxides while in a melting state over a furnace. Copper oxides were added to produce green, cobalt for blue, and gold was added to produce red glass, creating what was called pot metal. The types of stained glass diversified from there, finding form in cylinder glass, crown glass, table glass and flashed glass (all these were named for the technique used to create each type of glass.) Each method produced different variations in color. Today there are modern glass factories who produce the glass using traditional methods and modern expediency, located everywhere from the USA to England, Russia and Poland.

by Tomasz1950

Around the time of the Protestant Reformation, many of these windows were smashed and replaced with plain glass. Why anyone would want to destroy works of such beauty is anyone’s guess, although it was most likely believed that the windows were symbols of religion that needed to be destroyed per the ideas driving the Reformation. Luckily, the early 19th century brought the Catholic revival and along with it the reintroduction of stained glass. This is the time period in which stained glass became closely associated with both Catholic churches and Gothic styling. William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones were both very popular stained glass manufacturers in the late 19th century, both considered “Pre-Raphaelite” designers. The difference in art styles was palpable, although to the untrained eye the identifying marks of a stained glass artisan’s work were less easily identified. Louis Comfort Tiffany appeared on the scene in 1880, who is still quite famous to this day for the timeless Tiffany style.

The twentieth century brought change and modernization to the craft, and the Gothic movement was pushed aside to make way for newer styles. Today there are actually traditional establishments in which you can learn the skill of stained glass creation, such as Florida State University’s Master Craftsman program. There is also The Stained Glass Association of America, a 100 year old organization that focuses its energies on protecting and furthering the craft. It’s thanks to these sources and many more than the exquisite craft of stained glass still flourishes today.

More Images of Stained Glass:

by Atelier Teee

by Bat Guano

by e³°°°’s

by Gervo1865_2

by Atelier Teee

by Brandon Cirillo

by Tomasz1950

by adamrice