Stained glass is one of the most sophisticated forms of art. It is distinguished by a rich history and the presence of a considerable number of interesting manufacturing techniques. The word "stained glass" itself is translated from Latin as "glass". Perfection of beautiful works begins with the root causes of the art of their creation.
Since the formation of the first civilizations, man began to use glass. As time passed, and people understood how to make new material color. Residents of Syria learned to blow glass. From this moment, the development of the stained glass window begins.
World art
The exact date of their appearance is unknown. But there is evidence that for the first time colored glass was used for simple pictures. Putty pieces were attached to the board. The first temples are decorated with such panels. Art has gained recognition, spread throughout the world.
The following types of stained glass are distinguished:
- romance
- gothic:
- renaissance.
Romanesque
The Romanesque appearance (Romanesque glass) that arose in the eleventh century remained the most relevant for a century. He turned into a classic. The picture was laid out in colored pieces and fastened with metal profiles.
The cost of such decoration was very high, the manufacture was laborious and complex. Individual masters composed high-quality paintings from pre-prepared thin sheets. On one panel took more than a hundred pieces of glass.
Each had its own color and shape. Despite the high cost of defects, glass paintings had a lot. Air bubbles remained in them, there were bumps, scuffs. But at present, these shortcomings only add charm to the classics.
The master outlined a drawing on a wooden surface. Then, suitable glasses were selected for each element. The fragments were painted with natural paints and burned in an oven to fix the pattern.
Using narrow bindings of lead, the image was assembled into a single pattern. For large windows, the composition was composed of several smaller panels to increase strength and stability.
The most striking examples of masterpieces recognized triple stained glass windows of the Holy Trinity from the Chartres Cathedral, "Ascension of Christ" and a composition of four Old Testament prophets in the Cathedral of Augsburg, "Crucifixion and Resurrection" on the windows of the church in Poitiers.
Gothic
Similar panels were made since 1144. During the construction of the monastery in Saint-Denis, its windows were filled with several medallions. Each of them revealed one of the key historical moments.
For the Gothic style, the number of cathedral windows began to increase. New architecture quickly gained popularity. The temples simultaneously combined gloom and light, embodying spirituality.
Over time, the color saturation changed to lighter shades, which ensured the penetration of a larger number of rays. The type of windows has changed. They began to do according to the Latin cross. There is a new technique, grisaille.
French technology consisted of placing radiant images in dark and large rooms, which became brighter. The most famous masterpieces of that time are considered medieval stained glass in the church of Chartres.
They perfectly demonstrate the harmony of the majesty of huge windows, the gloom of architecture and the concept of the building. Darkness with a stream of light pouring into the room gives an amazing effect. This is the peculiarity of Gothic.
Renaissance
By the fifteenth century, secular lifestyle came first. This change has greatly affected stained glass art. There were a lot of effective glass working techniques, silver etching. The level of finished paintings has increased.
The colors of the master were applied directly to the material, which ensured the unusual shades. Images gained brightness and volume. Small medallions, with a maximum of thirty centimeters, became medallions that became symbols of the era.
Examples of ancient Renaissance works are the windows of the Florence Cathedral, the Besserer Chapel in Ulm Minster. Until the sixteenth century, manufacturing techniques went according to the classical pattern. Rafael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci had a great impact on art.
In the era of realism, the European style of decoration and the cumbersome form. Thanks to the new processing technique, the purity of the glass has increased. Red stain appeared.
Masters used color schemes without distorting the shapes of the paintings. The windows have reached gigantic proportions. Examples of masterpieces of the High Renaissance are church stained glass in Brussels, the "Tree of Jesse" in Beauvais.
The final stage of the heyday of art is called the sixteenth century. Techniques for manufacturing and drawing up drawings began a rapid development. A significant impact on design methods had the twentieth century.
Russian stained glass window
In Russia, Western panels were not until the nineteenth century. The domestic culture did not need such innovations. But after its appearance in the country, the stained-glass window quickly gained recognition.
For the first time, a new form of art became known in the seventeenth century. This was followed by centuries of idle time. The century before last began the use of masterpieces in Russian culture. Since the middle of the century, paintings have been used to decorate buildings.
They call Russian masterpieces beautiful stained glass windows of the Tsarskoye Selo chapel, "Ascension of Christ" in St. Isaac's Cathedral, a panel of the building of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg.
Due to the decline in interest in Art Nouveau, stained glass painting was forgotten with the advent of the new century. The revival began in the middle of the last century. New works featured originality.
Modern stained-glass windows give the room a special luxury. Multiple manufacturing techniques, design development have become key points for improving the art form.
Along with classical, modern technologies and processing are used. Popular techniques:
- sandblasting;
- mosaic;
- typesetting;
- fusing and sintering;
- filler;
- pickled;
- soldering;
- facet;
- combined;
- tiffany.
Types of modern processing
Sandblasted stained-glass windows are called samples made in the same technique and connected by a common theme. Typically, the composition is made in a single color on a solid surface.
One-dimensional particles of a mosaic panel are similar to a mosaic. Such an image serves as the background or the main picture.
Compositional compositions form separate glass fragments of the desired shapes and colors without additions. When using fusing, the glass of the composition is sintered with each other in a conceived position. The same technique includes the sintering of foreign elements into the finished drawing.
A stained-glass window is formed from pieces with a contour of the drawing. Each element is filled with varnish or paints. To create an etched image using a set of glasses made using the etching technique.
The solder pattern is formed by colored glass fixed with a lead frame and sealed at the joints. This technique has been known since the Middle Ages.
Facet patterns are made of glass with previously removed facet. Suppose the option of using pieces of polished or polished.
Combinations of several species are called combined. The reception gives amazing results, allowing you to create real masterpieces.
