Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-16
STAINED GLASS.
Idea for Glaxier,s Art Came from
East

The Renaissance of stained or color
ed glass windows has recently been
greatly stimulated through the awak-
ened interest in architecture, to which
it Is so closely allied.
Stained glass is a term which ap-
plies to glass that has been colored In
the melting pot by adding to it's in
gradients some metallic oxide. The
term, as it is used. generally includes
painting upon glass, but in reality the
two processes are widely different To
paint upon a sheet of white or color
ed glass is one thing, to create
composition, mosaic in character,
made up of numbers of pieces of
colcred glass, each tint of which has
been cut out of different sheet of
pot -metal," is quite another. How
ever. since the earliest times the two
processes If work have been used In
combination.
Like many of the arts, the idea of
a mosaic made of translucent glass
originated most likely in the East and
il Is said that eolored glass windows
were used in that marvellous monu-
ment of Eastern beauty, the Church of
Santa Sophia, in constantinople, in
the sixth century. But very few ex-
amples of early glass are left to us,
and there are no set rules for distin-
gushing their exact date; but in
feeling there is always a severity of
treatment both in the designs Of the
figure and ornament. which speaks of
Byzantine influence.
\ few traces of these early windows
are found in England, but those of
greater importance still remain in
France and Germany-in the cathe-
drals of Charities, lie Mans, Dijou,
Angus, Vendrome and the Abbey
Church of st. Denis. The Germans
claim that in the cathedral at Augs-
berg are to be seen the earliest willie
dows eXtant, those of 18th century
workmanship. and at Strasberg there
are portraits of certain Kings and
Emperors in windows of the 18th CEN
fury, which were probably saved from
the wreckage of the earlier church
when it was destroyed by fire.
Although there are so few specimens
of stained glass which can with GER
tainty be credited to a date earlier
than the 18th century there ar.
enough to prove that by the 18th CEN
fury the craft was sufficiently de-
veloped to show that it had long been
known and practiced But it was in
the 18th century that stained glass
windows attained their first great de-
velopment- perhaps the greatest they
ever knew-for though the products of
chat period may seem crude in execu-
ton to our eyes and their designs
archaic, they have never been sur
passed for depth of color and vibrant
brilliancy, for allying themselves more
tremendously to the architecture to
which they should be a part and for
imparting an impression of reverence
and solemnity.
Indeed, never did the slazier have
greater appreciation of glass and its
translucent quality or deeper knowl-
edge of its treatment, and though the
names of the masters of those days
have been lost to us, their work re-
mains as evidence that they had
raised their craft to a high art
The glaciers craft was especially
pronounced in all early windows, for
they were mosaic in design. made up
of innumerable small pieces OF pot
metal glass, all of which were outlined
and held together by leading STRIPS.
Paint was used sparingly, not for the
sake of color, but mainly to subdue or
blot out light. 1t was made entirely
subservient to metal glass, and
was often employed to assist the leads
to define outlines or accentuate or por-
tray details which were absolutely i'm
possible to depict by the use of pure
glass alone. Leading was not only me-
chanical value, but was used to define
forms and highten the brillance or
the colored lights between.
After these early 18th century win
dows. the history of the development
of stained glass is very interesting but
too intricate and subtle to speak OF
here except in a very brief way. The
18th century brought change in de-
sign and treatment There came
desire for more light, and the design
had to fill very differently shaped win
dows, but the marked divergence lay
in the tendency toward the pictorial
presentment of theme. The glass
painter was beginning to come into
his own.
The pictorial feeling was still fur
Their developed in the 18th century and