Stained Glass Art

Stained Glass Art

Forms of stained glass have been around for a VERY long time. Some of the oldest known stained glass was found in windows of an unearthed Monastery in England which was founded in 686 AD. Stained glass has most commonly been used for the windows in churches. The colored glass creates a beautiful ambiance in any room acting basically as a piece of illuminated wall decoration. Stained glass requires a good amount of artistic and engineering skills.
There have been some major artistic shifts in glass art style over the centuries. For instance, 15th century Renaissance painters shifted more toward realistic images in art. This being said, the artists started painting on glass rather than using stained glass and lead framing, in order to create more detailed images. As a result, the feeling of the classic, boldly saturated, colored glass was lost. By the 19th century, many of the original techniques and styles had been lost, and stained glass art work became significantly less popular.
Luckily, there was a regaining in popularity in the 19th century, with many stained glass artists resorting back to the old ways of creating brilliant art pieces from fragments of stained glass, connected by lead and solder. With colored glass and glass cutting tools widely available, many more artists are considering stained glass as an option for their artwork. New technology with regard to supporting and preserving the glass has also made the choice of creating large pieces of stained glass art much more viable. These large pieces can be used to tell a little bit about the building they are used in. For instance, a church might have images of episodes of Christ and may incorporate narratives drawn from the Bible while a college hall might have images depicting the arts or sciences studied in that particular building. Stained glass art pieces found in houses might include images of flowers or landscapes, likely representing the local area.
With continued popularity in the 20th and 21st centuries, a now 100-year old organization was created – The Stained Glass Association of America, whose purpose is to assure the survival of the craft. The SGAA achieves this goal by offering guidelines, instruction and training to anyone interested in the craft. The Stained Glass Association also defends the craft against regulations that might restrict its use in architecture.
Although stained glass is most commonly used in large pieces such as windows in churches and colleges, it has also came to be commonly used in smaller items such as lamps, jewelry boxes, and home décor. With the ever increasing technology and possibilities, stained glass will likely not lose its popularity anytime soon. Improved tools and materials are allowing artists to be more and more inventive and unique in their design with stained glass. Keep your eyes peeled and you might be surprised just how often stained glass is used. And if you are fortunate enough to observe a large stained glass art piece, take a minute to really feel the emotion the piece gives. Stained glass is a very unique and powerful artistic technique with many different styles and applications so keep your eyes open!