Enjoy Some Stained Glass History - For You True Glass Art Buffs!

Here we present some stained glass history for you true glass art enthusiasts!! It may provide some background as to why this art form is so important and why so many people love it, including us.

We are trying to incorporate every aspect of this amazing art, so wethoughtof providing a brief background on this topic of stained glass.

We are hoping this will help you develop your creativity and imagination in your own projects.

The Early Days of Stained Glass

Stained glass history begins around 300 AD when it first became "art." It was used during anarchitecture period when many churches were being built.

Stained glass designs developed mostly based on the architectural design of thetimes.

The Romans glazed glass into windows. They used both blowing glass techniques to spinning to make circular glass.This glass was more opaque than translucent.

During the 13th and 14th Century- the Gothic period - stained glass history expanded, especiallywith huge window areas in cathedrals.

Different versions of borders were experimented with to create more intricate designs. Glass was mixed with pierced marble, stone, or glazedin plaster, before the plaster hardened. Iron was mostly used to help the plasterstrengthen (a lot different than today) - gotta love technology!

In the late 15th-17th Century, stained glass became widely used by thewealthy. Artists came from nowhere- became known for their artisticabilities and were commissioned to produce specific glassdesigns.

Flemish stained glass designs developed during this period- showingcontrasting colors. Also, folds in clothing became evident during theRenaissance period.

Beginning in the 16th Century, there was a religious upset which caused muchdestruction of glass pieces, especially on Catholic Churches inEngland.

The 18th & 19th Centuries of Stained Glass History

Early in the 18th Century, stained glass had gone out of fashion- there wasn't a lot of glass artbeing made.

British studios started restoring antique glass and building new glass for churches.

The right type of glass was hard to find.Portions of beautiful old glass was analyzed and productions of colored glass was developed during this time.

Many British studios lost their art files on producing glass anddesigns due to the bombing throughout World War II . They used these files to makepaper and other things.

The great restoration period of stained glass history taught artists the old techniques- themedieval techniques- glass colored in a pot, painted, fired andconnected with lead.

They used hydrofluoric acid to treat corroded glass then scraped it with ametal tool. They then replaced panels rather than try to restore the ones they felt couldn't be fixed.

Old style windows influenced the new in the mid 1800's. Iconagraph was usedto make windows- a great deal of medieval designs were produced during this time period.

The Nazarene artists used flat color and bold outlines, influencing stainedglass. The Nazarene were artists who traveled to Rome.At first they were laughed at for their style but later admired. With this, theyinfluenced the English, producing mostly religious art.

In the 1800's- studios for glass and mosaic art were opened bylawyers, architects, chemists, doctors and engineers making it wildly popular.

An even bigger influence for stained glass history erupted during the industrial Revolution. Wealth becamemore prominent, increasing mobility due to the railroad.

The poor quality of machine made products influenced the Arts and Craftsmovement to produce good quality handcrafted products and designs.

Tiffany glass suddenly rose to the scene in the 1800's. The famed style was the use of flat areas ofbold color and being heavily outlined.

Art Nouveau style was different depending on the country.The subject matter was either realistic or a form of abstract nature.

Every country produced "lady" windows and "labor" windows. Theengineeringdevelopment of large domes and skylights began to emerge during this time period of stained glass history.

The 1900's of Stained Glass History

In 1903, the "cameo process" was invented. Instead of painting heads andhands they were cut and etched. This began to be used because of thebeginning of acid etching.

The cameo process was considered "modern art"and heavily criticized. Within time the modern technique became popular andused worldwide.

Art deco became known during the roaring 20's. Synthetic materials were startingto be used which made the making of glass art a bit different.

The ideas during the 1900's were that stained glass should be used forarchitectural effect (going again back to the early days).

During the 20th Century new ideas began to take shape.The windows changed from painted art, to stained glass, to decorative art - "Windows of color" as they were called.

During the industrial age, Frank Lloyd Wright had a great influence in stainedglass as well as architecture.

He made popular the use of many materials. For example, stone with stone,wood with wood, and glass with glass. He used open interiors which wasperfect for the use of glass.

During this era, artists from different parts of the world used different and innovativetechniques to create their glass artwork.

In the 1930's a French artist developed a daring new technique by usingtranslucent materials setting flat pieces of glass in leads.

He sculptured thick slabs of glass that had many facets, which the light creatively playedwith the colors, which suggested the fire of precious stones.

These slabs were held in place with cement. It was best to pouranywhere from 1-2 inches on medium size patterns.

Cement also requied a wire into the panel to reinforce the panelagainstbreakage. Due to weight, cement would commonly separate with the glass.

A better adhesive was needed- so many artists experimented withdifferentforms of cement.

Sauereisen acid was also used. It is a material for coating surfaces that wereexposed to different acids. It's use on stained glass was interesting and unique.

The cost was inexpensive. Plus, it dried quickly and weighed less than cement.

The most successful new technique came next, "dalle deverre."

This is faceted glass set in epoxy. This could be used in windows andwalls. Epoxy became very effective compared to cement. It came in manycolors, very strong, long lasting and waterproof. Most important - itstuck to glass!

In America stained glass took a back seat during the depression and WorldWar II. But once WWII was over- craftsmen and artists renewed this craft.American artists produced new techniques- etched- gold leaf overlay,sand-blasted and beveled.

During the 1960's the social atmosphere changed. Churches were not builtnew,but the old churches started being renovated.

The hippie generation spread throughout the country painting bright andcolorful designs on everything. This also included repairing stained glass (an important time for renovation of stained glass history).

This time developed a great interest in stained glass as a hobby and passion.

Art Deco returned with great enthusiasm during this time period.Stained glass became collectible again. It was recognized as a great artform and studied seriously. It has also become a great hobby, passion, and stained glass business for many people today.

We certainly hope you enjoyed this piece of stained glass art. Please visit the rest of our site to enjoy the process of making glass art.

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