Early Origins of Glass
The wonderful allure and lustre of stained glass dates back as far as civilisation itself –the earliest manufacture of glass probably occurred in Mesopotamia (the area known today as Iraq, Syria and Turkey) during the early part of the third millennium BC. The earliest glass found was jewellery - relatively crude blue and green
decorative antique beads attached to metal wire.
Medieval Stained Glass in England
In Medieval England stained glass was first used in churches, with the earliest fragments of coloured glass from the 7th century discovered at monasteries in Monkwearmouth and Jarrow in Northumbria. Stained glass windows were first referenced in 675 AD by Benedict Biscop, who commissioned French workmen to create stained glass for the windows of the monastery of St Peter.
By the 12th century stained glass was a predominant feature in church architecture. It was an art form, but also an educational tool as different coloured glasses took on their own specific meaning. They became symbolic – a way to tell religious stories and convey messages with a powerful, inspiring vision, full of dramatic intensity - aimed at the mostly uneducated population. For example, blue was often used to symbolise heaven or paradise, whilst red represented the blood of Christ. White usually depicted purity and innocence, and black symbolised sin or death. Purple represented royalty and the Glory of God, and green represented growth or new life. Grey or silver became associated with wisdom and knowledge.
Traditional Stained Glass Techniques
Once the stained glass had been prepared, it could be painted using vitreous or glass paint. This was a dark enamel pigment based on copper or iron oxide, ground glass, or gum arabic which was added to a binder such as water, wine or vinegar. It was mixed in various shades of grey, brown and black. It could also be diluted to various textures and consistencies, depending on the eventual desired effect. Painters used a dense ink-like consistency to trace basic lines, then added a thinner wash to achieve shading and modelling. They applied the paint with brushes made of various animal hair. Sticks, needles, quills, and fingers were also used to texture and scratch out the paint, creating variations in the depth of colour, which in turn controlled the density of light passing through the painted glass. This technique enabled artists to add more realistic details to their figures - hands, faces and folds in drapery could be more convincingly portrayed. Once the glass paint was applied to the stained glass it was fired to adhere the paint to the glass.
The Art and Science of Glass Making
But glass making was a difficult and unpredictable process: a combination of science and artisanship - it required just the right proportions of ingredients and controlled heat. Originally it was made by mixing and heating sand (silica) and woodland ash (alkali) which together formed glass when cooled. This was done in clay pots over heated wooden fires and any small variations could lead to imperfections such as uneven tinting, odd colour hues, bubbles, or embedded impurities. These are characteristics which are now highly regarded in old glass, adding to their charm and value as
decorative antiques. Glass workers were highly skilled, carefully guarding their working methods and secret recipes to produce their own individual myriad of colours. Subtle hues were discovered and passed down through generations by trial and error, adding different minerals to the melting pot and heating for different periods of time gave an incredible array of colours. Copper-bearing minerals produced a red or sky-blue glass, manganese pink or purple, and iron various greens or a bright yellow glass. Minerals often made their way into glass as impurities in sand, giving faint colours such as green (iron) and purple (manganese) that can often be seen in "clear" cathedral glass.
Silver Stain and Painted Glass
The actual name ‘stained glass’ came from a process introduced in 14th century, in which ‘silver stain’ (or yellow stain) was applied to ‘grisaille’ glass (white or clear glass) on the outside. Silver stain was a silver nitrate compound which, when fired turned the glass a yellowy-gold colour. This enabled glaziers to have more than one colour on a single piece of glass, and revolutionised glass painting. Silver stain produced colours ranging from pale yellow to deep red, dependant on glass composition, stain composition, the number of applications, heat, and the colour of the background glass etc. It was the perfect way to depict yellow hair, halos and crowns along with faces on the same piece of glass. The stain could also be applied to blue glass to give green, making possible depictions of blue sky and green fields.
Around the middle of the 16th century, new vitreous enamel colours were discovered. Like glazes for pottery, these used either ground-up coloured glass or clear glass with a metallic oxide in a binder, which was painted onto the clear rectangular glass and then fired. This method was used from the 17th to the early 19th centuries and was enormously influential as it allowed glass to be painted in a similar composition and style to
antique oil paintings this period, which aimed at a three dimensional portrayal - the less lead needed to hold the panes together, the less of an interruption there was to the narrative of the work.
Victorian Gothic Revival and Decorative Antiques
Inevitably, styles changed, and stained glass did not suit the Baroque and Rococo aesthetic, which favoured plain glazed windows and bright light to show off the magnificence of the interior, so its use declined.
It took the Victorian ‘Gothic Revival’ for the techniques of Medieval stained glass artisans to be sought out once more and relearned. At this time two passions – one for the Medieval 'Gothic' decorative antique style and the other for church restoration – came together to create a prolific stained glass manufacturing industry. The colour symbolism first established in Medieval times was now heavily referenced by the Victorians. It can be seen in the colours they chose for
antique textiles, and
antique embroidery. The Victorians readily used stained glass in the
English antiques they produced at the time, incorporating it into their domestic and public life. For example,
antique decorative items such as Victorian stained glass photograph frames were popular, often featuring small floral or geometric motifs, as were ornate
antique table lamps, such as those made by Tiffany, the famous brand founded towards the end of the century in America.
William Morris, who formed Morris & Co in 1861, was a leader in the Arts and Crafts Movement and dominated the design ethic of the final quarter of the nineteenth century. His designs, and those of some of his contemporaries, took
English antique furniture in a new direction, rising above some of the sentimentality of the earlier Victorian years. The
antique furniture he designed celebrated and included stained glass – his designs are now highly desirable
19th century antiques.
20th Century Stained Glass and Mid-Century Design
The popularity of stained glass continued into the early 20th century and was embraced by the Edwardian and Art Deco periods. During this time
English antique furniture such as mirrors and fire screens often featured geometric designs or motifs like birds and flowers made in stained glass.
Stained glass has always taken its lead from architecture, and with the destruction of so many buildings during World War II it once again re-invented itself. New buildings were designed with a minimalist aesthetic, featuring straight lines and the heavy use of concrete, which was both cost-effective and innovative. This taste followed through into items for the home - stained glass artists had new inspiration creating distinctive
mid-century antiques such as bold minimalist
antique lighting.
Stained Glass Antiques Today
Sadly by the 2000s, many of the large stained glass studios, founded centuries before, had closed. Yet an appreciation of stained glass is still very much alive – please take a moment to check out some of the items that are currently available at Mist Antiques and Decorative Interiors to enjoy the fusion of ancient history, science and art.
Reference
- ‘Heavenly Illumination: The Science and Magic of Stained Glass’, by Andy Connelly.
- 'A Brief History of Stylistic Development in English Stained Glass', by The Stained Glass Museum, Wikipedia
