Celebrate! - July/August 2002 (Vol. 41, Num. 4)
Light and Worship (Part 1)
What is a stained glass window?
Take a look at a stained glass window. Structurally, it is fairly simple. If it was created in the traditional leaded technique, then it will be made of pieces of coloured glass, cut to shape and perhaps painted or etched, and held in place with H-shaped lead strips (or cames) and solder. As part of a building, stained glass is expected to last a long time, and for this purpose alone, it must be constructed of quality materials, and with careful craftsmanship. But true success for a stained glass window is much more than a simple matter of material and technique. If it is to have meaning and life - in short, if it is to be worth doing - it has to have "connections." This isn't referring so much to friends in high places, but to the web of relationships - physical, architectural, historical, theological and social - that give the window meaning and context, a place within the church, and within the hearts of the congregation.
Connections bring an extra dimension to stained glass, but they also present additional challenges for the church that wants to commission a window. Building and managing these associations requires thought, planning, discussion and the taking of risks - but it's worth the effort. A window that works well within its architectural, human and spiritual context has a
richness that will touch the spirit of everyone who comes into the church. It becomes an integral part of a church building that is inspired by, and connected to, a magnificent web of people, events and spiritual aspirations - past, present and future.
Too often, it seems, a congregation installs stained glass only because they feel that "this is what churches ought to have," and give it no more thought beyond that. If stained glass is seen as no more than a necessary church furnishing, there's a temptation to take the path of least resistance, and go for unoriginal and uninspired "stock" designs. In this article and those that follow, the assumption is that the congregation wants something more, and is willing to do that extra work to make sure that its window is both beautiful and meaningful.
Like a pebble tossed into a pond, the creation of a new stained glass window generates ripples that are felt long after the initial event. In the commissioning of a new work, the congregation has a unique opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the thousand-year history of this ancient and beautiful art. To provide some context for what is to come, it may be helpful to have some historical background - to give an idea of where stained glass as we know it came from, and how it was used in the past. Its history is a fascinating one and knowing it helps to support better decisions.
A Brief History of Stained Glass
Stained glass has been used in churches for over a millennium, and the windows created during that time number in the hundreds of thousands. Over time, many of these have been lost to wars, fires, vandals, religious strife and changing fashions. But enough remain to tell a fascinating tale of the development of this exceptional art form. It is fairly certain that early glasswork was undecorated, and that it was mounted in wood, stone or metal frames. The main purpose of the glass was to provide light to the interior, while protecting it from the elements. The earliest use of glass to ornament church windows hasn't been documented, but we do know that as early as the sixth century, St. Gregory had the windows of St. Martin of Tours glazed with coloured glass. The inspiration to use glass in a decorative way undoubtedly came from other art forms - especially those that were similar to glass in composition and style. Mosaics, cloisonne enamel and the jeweler’s art of setting precious coloured stones in a gold or silver filagree all would provide inspiration. Knights returning from the Crusades would have seen Arabic windows that used small pieces of coloured glass set into a carved stucco or pierced marble fretwork. Illuminated manuscripts show a marked similarity in style and composition to the ornamental design of medieval windows. Two important discoveries were necessary for the development of stained glass as we know it. The first was the invention of milling or casting, which produced the "H" channel lead came that holds the assembled pieces of glass together. The second was the development of glass paint, which is composed of finely ground iron filings mixed with a flux of powdered glass. This allowed details such as facial features, hands and drapery to be painted on the glass, which is then fired in a kiln to permanently fuse the paint to its surface. With these innovations, images began to be more commonly used.
Earliest Images
The earliest known images in stained glass were based on Christian themes. These images were possibly rather primitive in appearance, as this was a young art, and glass offers the artist very different qualities compared to painting on plaster (fresco) or wood panels (icons and altar screens). In time, however, technical advances, artistic innovation, and a growing understanding of the unique qualities of glass brought medieval artists to a high level of artistry in this new medium.
In the early windows, the artists were not trying to portray religious figures in any natural or historically accurate way. Instead, the purpose of religious art at the time was to create visual symbolic icons that would be a help for worship. In these windows, the importance of the symbol overshadows everything else; every detail of appearance, each action and position reinforce the symbolic meaning of the figure. Despite the formality of this approach, artists of the time created distinctive and extraordinary works.
The Advent of Gothic
With the advent of the Gothic style in the thirteenth century, stained glass went through a wondrous transformation. Structural innovations in church- and cathedral-building made it possible to provide much larger window openings, and these were transformed into magnificent walls of colour and light. Stained glass was no longer a decoration; it was an essential part of the fabric of the building. Although stained glass was widely used, there was no universally accepted aesthetic for the windows being created. Regional differences, as well as differing theological and artistic views resulted in a rich mix of styles. At the extremes, some communities were installing gloriously colourful windows in their churches, while others were eliminating all colour and image from their stained glass.
Among the many gifts of the thirteenth century are a number of stunning rose windows. The round window, or "rose", is a popular configuration for stained glass; the strength and spirituality projected by these circles of wondrous light is uniquely affecting. Realism in rose windows was considerably less important than structure and symbol. Everything in this window is dominated by the arrangement of the spokes and other elements to produce its exquisite flower-like effect. It is through this structure and its use of images that rose windows achieve the abstract qualities that make them seem to float in space.
Over the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, significant changes were taking place in the portrayal of religious figures. There was a shift in religious art towards more human depictions. Technical and architectural advances in the fourteenth century also had an effect. The discovery of silver stain, which imparts a golden glow to the glass, ushered in new artistic styles, while improved glass-making techniques allowed for larger pieces of glass-which in turn led to an increased ability to naturalize the figures.
Weakening the Connection Between Figure and Material
A trend towards increasingly accurate anatomy, perspective and realism posed problems for stained glass artists, who found themselves at a disadvantage in comparison to canvas painters. Realistic figures look out of place and unconvincing when surrounded by heavy lines of lead. In response, artists used larger pieces of glass, and used their glass paints to try to achieve a three- dimensional modelled effect. This indeed brought increased realism, but it also weakened the connection between figure and material; the glass became little more than a canvas for what was, in essence, a painting. Although these windows were of glass, they were no longer "stained glass" as we know it. True stained glass was on its way to becoming a lost art. This trend was capped by the "Age of Enlightenment," when people did away with any type of coloured glass - the better to bring in a clear, lucid light to illuminate the church and make visible the rationality of their classically detailed, geometric interiors.
For nearly two centuries the art of stained glass verged on extinction. The methods for making coloured glass were neglected, and the techniques of traditional glass painting and silver staining rarely practiced. It was in the nineteenth century, with the revival of interest in all things medieval and the building of neo-Gothic churches that an effort was made to recreate the art of stained glass.
The Nineteenth Century Revival
The obsession with Gothic architecture, medieval legends and arts in 19th century Europe was widespread, but it was not necessarily accompanied by a deep understanding of what was being emulated. Outward forms could be imitated, but it was impossible to recapture the spirit of the medieval times that created those forms. Nevertheless, the Gothic revivalists put a great deal of energy into reconstructing, understanding and preserving medieval stained glass. They managed to rediscover and recreate many of the techniques of the medieval window builders. Having reconstructed the form and substance of the old windows, but missing the creative and cultural context that inspired them, the Gothic revivalists sent one branch of the stained glass art into a cul-de-sac from which it is yet to emerge. Their endless reuse of designs and full-size drawings portraying sentimentalized religious figures caused what would otherwise have been a passing stylistic phase to become ingrained in the public mind as "true" stained glass. These drawings would be pressed into service hundreds of times over, with little or no regard for the architectural setting. An example of this is the popular Victorian image of Christ as the "Light of the World". Hundreds of stained glass studios made copies of Holman Hunt's famous painting, and continuously reproduced it even through much of the twentieth century, resulting in thousands upon thousands of these uninspired, lifeless copies littering our churches. This is stained glass as a "religious art product," rather than a practiced art and craft which allowed room for inspiration and originality.
Dissenters
Fortunately, there were dissenters. One was the British designer William Morris. Morris and his compatriots believed artists should be inspired by the best of medieval arts and crafts; while he acknowledged the "outburst of genius" that took place in the Renaissance, he did not agree with the precise and academic artistic style. Morris was not a Gothic revivalist, but rather an innovator with a deep respect for medievalism, and for the satisfaction that skilled craftsmanship can afford the practitioner.
Morris and his compatriots introduced naturalism and beautiful figures into the many media in which they worked. In stained glass, the windows of the “Arts and Crafts" movement avoided the pious sentimentality that characterized Victorian work, and re-established lead lines as an elegant and vital part of the design. It is from this artistic thread that much of modern stained glass is woven. An early outgrowth of the Arts and Crafts movement in America was the stained glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany. A technical innovator in glass manufacture as well as a talented designer and landscape painter, Tiffany was inspired by the natural world. His style of windows, using textured and iridescent glass, was well suited to the romantic, pastoral landscapes he designed, and these worked well as domestic windows. However, when he entered the world of ecclesiastical art, he found himself embroiled in controversies over his approach both to subject matter and the type of glass he used. Tiffany's turn-of-the-century artwork has gone through various periods of contempt and adulation, but there is no doubt that he was a remarkable creator of opulent landscapes.
In the twentieth century, the art of stained glass was shaped by many factors - artistic, historical and social. Developments in painting and sculpture, including the different movements in abstract art, all had a profound effect on stained glass. The failed attempts at realism in Renaissance and Victorian styles alike inspired caution in glass artists, especially when using figures. Some avoided figures altogether; others used figures, but created them in a highly personal style. In these more modern styles, we find examples reflecting many different approaches, which often tell as much about the artist as about the subject.
The Impact of War
The terrible wars of the first part of the twentieth century had a significant effect on art and the church. In addition to the human tragedies wrought by World Wars I and II, many thousands of churches and cathedrals were destroyed. The wars had a profound social impact as well, clearing away old social structures and certainties, and infusing subsequent generations with a distrust of the old, and a hunger for the new. Postwar Germany was especially affected by this change; within a generation its stained glass artists completely rejected a tradition of sentimental and idealized painted images, and embraced a dramatic and uncompromising return to the eloquence of unpainted glass and strong line work. The extensive rebuilding program of churches in Germany, many with great walls of stained glass, provided a vast canvas for an exceptional generation of designers. The unspoken guideline was that if there was to be building, it must be done with new materials and new concepts. The number of newly built churches in Germany from 1950 to 1970 is greater than the number of newly built churches between the Reformation and World War II! In an age of expanding horizons and new techniques, artistic visions have moved contemporary stained glass into a realm of layered images and meaning. This is to be expected, since the realism of the Victorians was made superfluous by the hyper-realism of the photograph, computer image, and high definition TV. Modern stained glass is often a reflection, meditation, or interpretation of Christian concerns. Some deeply felt religious works evoke the presence of Christ within the context of Christian conscience. In past ages, the artists, architects, clergy and congregations built their churches and created stained glass that expressed their own times. Contemporary glass work has developed organically out of the forms that preceded it, and within a continuum of creative art. In creating liturgical work for our own times we must question the notion that imitating the style of a past age or simply using biblical scenes makes an artwork "religious." It seems to me that in this notion we veer too close to sentimentality. Great church architecture and great stained glass are always a genuine expression for, in and of their own time.
