Stained Glass Techniques

Stained glass is a complex art of pre-history. Today, we are quite familiar with biblical scenes and symbols depicted in the stained glass windows incorporated in the aesthetic arrangement of many churches and cathedrals. It is believed that the increased use of stained glass are associated with a time of widespread construction of the church took place, around the tenth century.

A surge in popularity with the Gothic stained glass, next to the building of great cathedrals of Europe. The stained glass windows depicting naturally bright, intense color images shaped not only an art, a visually-rich atmosphere, but showed a way to convey biblical tales to the audience largely illiterate at the time. The representation of God in the window was designed to provide a spiritual experience rather than a mere interpretation of a story.

With the creation of new methods of coloring and art, stained glass has become an art form closest to the artistic painting in the 15th century. Emphasis has been to emphasize the visual image rather than the atmosphere created, and the artisans of stained glass instead of glass became painters. The Renaissance marked a time when the size of the window seemed to crawl toward obsolescence, with designs increasingly simple illustrations on a transparent background. Stained glass became common in homes, churches and other public buildings in the simpler form. The windows have even begun to be removed and destroyed churches.

The decline of interest and the gradual elimination of the window was short-lived, with England showing a renewed interest in Gothic architecture in the 1800s. Artists revisited unfolded and techniques of stained glass from the past, and soon the first stained glass studios were established in America by English immigrants.

Two American painters, John LaFarge and Louis Comfort Tiffany, separately became interested in stained glass. The two men soon became competitors, with the opalescent glass copywriting LaFarge and Tiffany become the leader in its popularity. More advanced techniques have been developed, such as glass layers to describe the depth and the use of copper instead of lead to allow the creation of more detailed images.

Exploiting the emergence of electric lighting, Tiffany began to adapt his technique to produce lampshades complex to be used in the homes of the rich. After the death of Lafarge in 1910 and in 1933 Tiffany, stained glass has suffered a loss of popularity in the U.S., apart from common use in the windows of the church.

the art of stained glass has seen a recent surge of popularity in the United States, to be incorporated into the design of new houses, windows and shades reminiscent of those created by Louis Comfort Tiffany years ago.

About the author: John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., an online provider of leading home lighting , lighting, bathroom and decoration. For more information, please visit www.fiverivers.com.