Stained glass is unique among the arts of the world because of the rela- tionship that exists between glass and light. Color is seen on a painted surface by reflected light; the color that is seen in a stained glass window is from the light refracted through it. Especially in windows is seen the dynamic of light, changing through the day and through the seasons, con- stantly altering the mood, the intensity, the feeling of the glass picture.

Light has been a focal point of many of the world’s philosophies and religions, symbolically associated with goodness, revelation, and beauty. In the Creation story in Genesis: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.” Genesis 1:3-4 (RSV) And in the New Testament, John the Baptist describes Christ as the light of the world.

Stained glass is an art form which shows man’s ability to create a feast of light and color; it is an art form which spans more than a thousand years and is as relevant to modern art and architecture as it was in the Middle Ages. At the end of the Dark Ages when the boom in church building began, church buildings came ablaze with stained glass. The windows were inspirational and instructive to those who saw them as well as giving entry into a mystical experience that made man more receptive to God. As in other art forms, stained glass church windows reflect the philosophies, events, and aesthetics of the current time.

In order to fully appreciate the beauty of a window, as well as the skill of the craftsman, it is beneficial to know a bit about the creation of stained glass. Stand near the window and observe the way that it was made. First, it is seen to be made up of many pieces of colored glass that are put together with strips of metal and installed in a frame. Also one sees that faces and folds in the garments, for instance, are painted on in a deep brown, blue or black color, later fused to the glass, thus creating the details in the artist’s “painting of glass.”

The artist begins with a theme, and makes a sketch or cartoon of the design, which is blown up to the exact size of the window. At this point he draws out the lines where the glass would be cut, an extremely important step since this establishes the basic artistic and structural pattern of the window. When these lines are established, allowance is made for the space taken up by the lead strips that will join the pieces together.

The next stage, the choice of glass, is critical, and the artist must devote much time and care to it. Traditionally, the glass used is hand-made antique glass, prized for its softness and for its variation in thickness. When select- ing the glass, the artist looks for the variations that will enhance his design. The modern glass craftsman must be very grateful for the steel cutters avail- able to him - the medieval artist had to cut the glass with a hot iron!

In stained glass, all the colors are in the glass itself and no color, with the exception of silver stain, is applied to the glass. The only paint used is a dark brown vitreous enamel made of ground iron oxide and powdered glass, mixed with borax. When heated in the kiln, it fuses with the glass, and becomes part of the glass. The effects possible range from a heavy line to the subtle modeling of garments and faces. After the glass is fired in the kiln, it is then leaded and cemented, ready to be installed in the window opening. Creating a window of stained glass requires an abundance of skilled crafts- manship, artistry, and inspiration.

“No other art form took its spiritual role so literally as did this one, whose images were not merely illustrated but were activated through light - a phenomenon that was considered to be divine.” - Stained Glass by Lawrence Lee, George Seddon, and Francis Stephens.