subject: Stained Glass Windows: Looking Through A Millennium [print this page] The art of making stained glass has an interesting history. Its inception can be traced back to the ancient Romans and Egyptians. In the beginning, use of stained glass was limited only to jewelry. Later, with development in the technology of making glass, stained glass found its much popular use as church windows.
Since less people were literate in those times, biblical events found transcendental representation in the form of stained glass windows. Not much later, rich and the elite started getting it incorporated in their windows as a sign of their influence. Though, the earliest traces of these can be dated to the ninth century but written evidence about this art is found not as late as the twelfth century. Theophilus, a monk, in his work On Diverse Arts describes in detail the art of making stained glass. Keeping in account the chapters he has dedicated to describe the overall process of making and using it, the popularity of this art can be ascertained.
Development of this art
During the last 1000 years of its development as an independent genre of art, making and the use of stained glass has witness a sea of changes. Earlier, mix of some colours and chemicals were used to stain the glass. However, in the present scenario, use of bronze and wood is also mixed with the art of making stained glass windows. Then, it was not only the technology that changed, even the subject matter of this art witnessed a major change. After the Protestant revolution in England and other parts of Europe, the subject matter started shifting away from religious inspirations and biblical contexts.
Stained Glass in modern times
In the twentieth century, with rapid development in science and technology, process of making glass became cheaper and hence, stained glass became affordable to a larger section of people. In current scenario, with further developments, process of making stained glass is easier. Moreover, with various tools for cutting glass and with cheap and easy availability of stained glass, modern artists keep coming out with new trends in making stained glass and incorporation of stained glass windows.
The technological developments and use of modern tools have also made this art affordable to all. Earlier used only in the windows of churches; in the present scenario, stained glass finds various other usages as well. Moreover, being affordable, stained glass windows now have become quite common.
