Pictures Of Stained Glass Windows

Augsburg Cathedral of Augsburg in Bavaria is recognized as having the oldest stained glass in the world dating from the 12th century. This ancient Romanesque church is located about 40 miles north of Munich in southern Germany.

If we think of stained glass, even for a moment, our first thought is what we see in a church. First used in the cathedrals, the colored glass was thought to signify the light, as the first act of God's creation, and was recognized as the purest manifestation of God's presence, as the windows did not come to life when illuminated by light. For medieval theologians, the saints depicted dynamic images in the windows have been brought to life by the presence of God. Few people are able to read or write in the Middle Ages. The windows told the story of the Bible and the saints in pictures, and guides, who were perhaps the monks themselves, explain their contents to the pilgrims who came to worship.

During the period of the Renaissance, the window has started to become a fashionable addition to residences and public buildings. Many of the glass was became forgotten. The 18th century saw the removal of many medieval stained glass windows. They were replaced by glass and painted the beautiful old stained glass has been dismissed as out-of-date.

In the 19th century there was a renewed interest in Gothic architecture and glass studios in England made their versions of Windows for the medieval Gothic Revival buildings. These windows of Gothic churches and improved Windows mere ornament have been the norm until the development of a distinctive American style by John LaFarge and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

These two American painters who began experimenting with stained glass, independent of each other and soon became competitors. The finest examples of the work of John La Farge can be found in the Harvard University Memorial Hall, the windows of Trinity Church, Boston, and Judson Memorial Church in New York. John La Farge (1835-1910) stained glass windows designed between 1874 and his death. LaFarge developed and copyrighted opalescent glass in 1879. Tiffany popularized and his name became synonymous with opalescent glass and the movement of American glass

We will now use this beautiful glass in our houses as accents to our windows. It is easy to look like a stained glass with the reproduction of many pieces made today that hang in front of our windows, letting in light. When considering a window treatment for a solitary window, as in a small room or a stairwell or hallway, thinking about hanging a beautiful stained glass piece in front of the window to brighten the space and give it more importance than it would normally get.