The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-03
THE STRETCHING CLUB WINDOW.
A Dissertation ON COlOred Glass as
Illustrated by Tifany's Work.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal
AS there is nothing else in the world like
a fine colored glass window, the presence
of such one in this city is exciting the
admiration of all lovers of true art. A
colored glass window is not only a picture
but a means of transmitting light. 1t IL
Illustrates new departure in the use OF
glass as promoter of true art. The Amer
lean artist in glass is too much of an
artist to initiate the works of the past
however beautiful they may be. He sees
that to initiate the art of bygone ages
is an open confession of inferiority and
the making copy do duty for original
is a. plagiarism, which is contradictory to
the generally accepted principle that the
true aim of art is to create and not to inn
itate. He has endeavored to work on
original lines, although he never hesitates
to use and develop medieval motives when
they will serve his purpose, yet he is care
full to work them out in conformity with
the demands of the day. under the guild
ance of modern culture and the ever in
creasing volume of knowledge. He knows
that it is impossible to recall the spirit of
the dead workman, the spirit of the middle
ages, the aggregation of influences and
forces that brought their work into being;
he is essentially a man of to-day, using all
the past can teach him III union with al!
of hand and in modern science in lnstru-
ments and materials, keeping himself in
his work is original, creation and not an
imitation, the embodiment of artistic
thought and not a feeble portrayal of an
effete idea of another period.
The principle of the American school OF
glass has been to develop the mosaic sys-
tenn of the middle ages. and as a result,
the work has been carried out with great
and constantly increasing success. The
German, English and French have not at
tanned perfection in glass, artistcaly, be-
cause they have not followed the mosaic
SyS5de a tSey wevd upon 5Uosih 1st at
transparent mosaic. The American seeks
for perfect color effects, giving little heed
to form as he considers it secondary mat
ter. For this reason he has been found
fault with by foreign critics who have been
Belgian and French modern glass or to the
unsatisfactory work of England, and who
vance. Even in nature perfect color and
perfect form are seldom found united.
bays s say or to he perfect must
not have refined one; and you will never
produce good painted window with good
figure drawing in 1t. You will lose perfec
ton of color as you give perfection of line.
Even in figure painting the greatest color
lists have either melted their outlines away
as often Coreggio and Rubens, or purpose
ly made their masses of ungainly shape
as Titan. American artists in glass are
essentially colorists and masters of their
fma terials They have alredy won recogni-
\ ton from foreign artistic nations. only
tinguished by foreign honor in apprecia-
ton of the great results that ne has OBJ
tanned after ten years practical study of
colored glass.
MIR. Tiffany has aimed particularly to de-
velop the inherent properties of glass to
their fullest extent" in color and texture
in order TO obtain in the glass itself light
and shade through depth and irreguarity
of color united with inequality of surface,
in that way hoping to avoid the dullness
and opacity" which always accompany the
use of paint. Colored glass is obtained by
mixing metallic oxides while they are in a
state of fusion. The color penetrates the
entire substance OF the glass and the color
ing materials are part of the original conf
position of the glass itself. Such glass is
full of varieties of a given color uneven
in thickness and full of little air bubbles
and other accidents which cause the ray OF
light to play in and out with endless va
rieties of effect. One magnificent effect of
the work is obtained by contrasting the
rich colors of metals with the peaEl-like
tones of the clear glass.
The mosaic method Is artistically excel
lent, being the putting together of various
pieces or glass of different colors and
shades 50 as TO form translucent picture
where depth o. color, light and shade, cor
rectness of drawing ana distinctness are
carefully preserved.
In this art nothing be left to the
mechanic, as the final result depends upon
the proper adjustment OF the color values
and the artistic ARRANGEMENT Of the grooyed