Stained glass has long been used in churches and other places for worship in western cultures for the longest time ever. The history of stained glass dates back to more than a thousand years.
Even today, stained glass has not lost any of its appeal and continues to be an item that generates continuous fascination, allure and magic.
The Early Days
The history of stained glass came about nearly 1100 years ago. It was a specially used technique to color glass that was passed down through generations of artisans and craftsman over the years. Traditionally, this was used to separate churches and other places of worship from the normal buildings and instill a sense of awe into the passing onlooker. In AD 1100, the monk, Theophilus, wrote a manual on how to assemble a stained glass picture and more than 900 years on, those same methods remain little modified. Since then, many skilled craftsmen have gone into the delicate trade of creating stained glass art.
Although this technique was meant to bring glory to the churches, artists soon found themselves fascinated by this wonderful new art form. What happened subsequently was that many artists and craftsmen began to express their ideas in the form of their stained glass art, giving birth to a whole new element to this already amazing culture.
The history of stained glass continued to be written over the years, occasionally hitting highs but very often becoming next to obsolete. However, it soon found resurgence during the Gothic/Victorian era. This time round, it was no longer being used just as a symbol to represent churches and biblical buildings. Instead, stained glass came to be seen more as a form of art during this time. As such, the designs on stained glass pieces began to change and start to show much more artistic variations compared to before. The rise of stained glass works continued to increase all the way until the 15th century, which is mostly regarded as the height of the Gothic era. During this period of time, stained glass started to be introduced into more mainstream buildings such as residences and private clubs.
Stained Glass In The Modern World
However, secrets soon became lost and stained glass more or less became a remnant of the old world soon after. It was not until the late 21st century that it started to pick up again. Today, stained glass has become a big part of contemporary design and you can find them not only on building windows but on places as varied as bathroom floors, hotel doors and even as standalone structures. The appeal of this decorative feature continues to fascinate people in our time and more and more modern homes are turning towards the use of stained glass to spruce up their look.
The history of stained glass dates back such a long time that most who are interested in it right now do not even know where to begin. Nonetheless, it is always good to know more about it so that we can truly learn how to admire and appreciate this wonderful artisan technique. |
