You walk into a Grand Cathedral, and look up awestruck by the sheer scale and beauty of the stained glass that you see before your eyes. The kaleidoscope of colours and hues take the breath away, and you wonder how human beings could create such beautiful artwork and designs? Your thoughts then take you to the history of stained glass, and back to the period where I believe its heyday reached its pinnacle. Let us take a look back, back in time to Medieval Europe. In fact, since the time of Ancient Rome, stained glass has been loved and admired for its breathtaking beauty and their utility. But it is not to Ancient Rome we are heading, no our destination is forward in time, between the years 1150-1500. Indeed, this was the time period in Medieval Europe when the art of stained glass making came to the fore, huge and magnificent windows, adorned nearly every cathedral during this period and this was certainly the case in Europe at this particular time.
1150-1500
Theophilus: The majority of what we know about stained glass in Medieval Europe is because of one man, named Theophilus. Theophilus was a German monk from the 12th Century who had skills not just in artwork but in metalwork too. Theophilus would study the work, very closely, of glass painters and glaziers {describing this in his text on 'Diverse Arts'}. For hours on end Theophilius would study the glaziers and glass painters. Indeed he was after specific detailed directions in how to create windows of breathtaking beauty. Students of the art of stained glass can thank the German monk Theophilius, for the detailed knowledge he gained in studying the craftsmen and writing down what knowledge he attained.
The Romanesque Period
It was during the 12th Century that more stained glass had to be created. This was simply because more cathedrals where being built all around Europe at this particular time, so the demand for the beautiful glass was at its height. The place that became the centre of all of this artwork in glass was known as, Ile de France {a region near Paris}. This was the centre of stained glass making throughout Europe.
13th Century
The colours that are used with stained glass are as follows: Green, Red, Yellow and Blue. These where the primary colours used. However, the secondary colours used where: Violet, brown and White - which had a tint of blue or green - and also pink too. Shades of pink where used for the skin colour.
Gothic Stained Glass
Again, during the 13th Century, what became known as Gothic Stained Glass was produced. In this time period the walls where stronger {due to the flying buttress} this allowed for the holding of much heavier glass than before. Also, during this period images of the Life of Christ and the New Testament began to be produced, including The Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Not only that but signs of the Zodiac where produced in the glass too, along with the Life of the Apostles, labours of the months, Coats of Arms, The Last Judgement and images of the prophets and evangelists.
13th Century {Late}
During the late 13th Century the popularity of stained glass grew with more and more cathedrals wanting the glass to display outside and within their interiors. Cathedrals such as, Troyes, Laon, Bourgis, Notre Dame de Paris, Reims, all took in stained glass windows. Also, a new colour had been added to the glass...different shades of purples, dark green and yellow too, all made their debut. This time period also saw the rise of what was to become known as 'Grisalle Windows'. These where simply panes of white glass outlined in black. The Cistercian Church favoured this type of glass greatly, but this type of glass could be found in some cathedrals too. The advantage of Grisalle Glass compared to other types of stained glass, is that they allowed for more light to enter into the churches and cathedrals. The following churches all have this type of glass: Lincoln, Salisbury, and York Cathedrals in the United Kingdom.
14th Century
It was during this time period that a new colour was added, silver. This colour was made by combining the chemicals, heating them and then adding them together to produce silver. This new colour was used for crown moldings, simply to add touches of gold to the outlines of the glass that would be displayed. Again, tones where added too, such as olive green and tawny brown, more and more white glass began to show up as well, {again to allow more light into the churches and cathedrals} and the windows themselves began to show more and more stories that all played to their own theme, indeed, these stories where dramatic in nature. The 15th Century saw the continuation of what had gone on before - in the line of the production of stained glass - and this went on all the way through to the end of the 15th Century.
16-18th Centuries
By the beginning of the 16th Century stained glass was not as big an art form as it had once been. This was due to the Reformation. By this time, different colours could all be used on the one sheet of glass, {which had not been the case before}. Smaller panels of different colours were now being used too, {which produced beautiful frescoes}. In fact it was frescoes and oil paintings which ended Medieval Art, and it was only in England that the art of glazing continued on in that great tradition.
To Sum Up:
The history of stained glass is an ancient one and dates all the way back to the Ancient Middle East and Rome. But it was at the beginning of the Medieval Age that stained glass really came to the fore in Europe. The artwork and designs of those early pieces of craftsmanship should never be overlooked, and indeed, Medieval Stained Glass has stood the test of time, in showing just what can be achieved and created by the love, dedication and craftsmanship of human beings here on this earth.