Explain the Functions That Those Works of Art Are Supposed to Play for Stain Glass Windows

The History, Purpose, and Techniques of Stained Glass Windows

by Natalie Bloniarz


Creative person:	Natalie Bloniarz
Title:	Mountain Sunset

ane The History, Purpose, and Techniques of Stained Glass Windows
2 Abstruse
three Introduction
4 Section i: Background
- four.1 A Cursory History
- 4.2 Purpose
- 4.3 Techniques
5 Section 2: Deliverable
- 5.1 Creating my ain Stained Glass Window
  - 5.1.1 The Design
  - 5.1.2 The Process
  - five.1.three The Result
6 Decision
vii References
8 External Links

Abstruse

The aim of this projection was to develop an understanding of the history and purpose of stained glass windows and to study the techniques needed to create a window, then apply those techniques to create my own stained glass window. Using my prior humanities and arts experience in digital art from AR1101 Digital Imaging and Computing, I created the design for my stained glass window and then proceed to get Deko Studio to create the window. Creating the window for this project was a fun learning opportunity and taught me a lot well-nigh what it truly takes to blueprint and create a successful stained drinking glass window.

Introduction

This project covers a brief history of stained glass to provide some historical context for the art class, and then explores the techniques that can be used to create a window. The specific technique used to create the window for the deliverable portion of this milestone was leading. This is similar to the classes AR 162X and AR 262X Glass I and 2 respectively at WPI, which focus on glass blowing and techniques such as cutting and grinding glass. The principal difference between the course I took at Deko Studio and the classes offered at WPI is that WPI focuses more than on the creation of the glass and objects straight every bit a upshot of glass bravado rather than creating something from pieces of glass similar stained glass. The window for the deliverable section of this project was created as part of a beginners workshop exploring the techniques needed to pattern stained glass, cut and grinding glass, and soldering the panel together.. This project was unlike annihilation I have always done and was a great adventure to feel a new art class.

Section 1: Background

A Brief History

Stained glass is believed to originate from the Middle E as a fashion to bring light into buildings but permit the building to be completely closed. In that location is evidence of mastery of creating stained glass in Rome and Egypt, and it is believed that those empires helped to spread the art class. The earliest drinking glass windows were a huge transition from how mankind had been using glass beforehand, mainly as weapon blades fabricated of the volcanic glass obsidian and simple housewares such as bowls and vases.^[1] Moving forward to the medieval catamenia, stained drinking glass as information technology is known today began to take shape, progressing forrad from unproblematic glass shapes in holes in walls to full architectural elements. Medieval churches began to commission windows with religious figures and the royalty of the flow would asking for windows begetting their coat of artillery. The figures and forms in these windows were simplistic and lacking perspective.^[ii] The windows of this fourth dimension were expensive and at a constant take a chance of having their light source blocked by a new building, rendering the art useless.^[3] Glass in the centuries prior was as valuable as precious stones, for example ruby colored glass was the equivalent of an actual ruby, and can aid explain why the churches and castles of medieval Europe were the only buildings commissioning stained drinking glass for a long period. The Augsburg Cathedral is believed to accept the oldest existing stained glass windows, but the construction of the windows shows dandy knowledge of avant-garde techniques. The windows in the cathedral suggest that other prior windows had existed, because of the advanced techniques, and suggests the idea that the creator of the window had knowledge from all across Europe, but these are the earliest existing windows withal standing today.^[4] New colors for the glass in stained glass windows were introduced over the centuries equally new metals were discovered, allowing for experimentation into lighter colors, painting, and the development of new styles.

Gothic fashion stained glass windows, particularly in France, popularized the heavy use of reds and blues in window designs.^[5] The Gothic color choices of rich reds and dejection can be easily observed in rose windows, which are the larger circular windows establish in Gothic cathedrals. The Gothic fashion of stained glass windows reigned supreme in cathedrals in the thirteenth century.^[6] Painting on glass became the next popular style for stained drinking glass windows, and it was rose to popularity in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries as a way to achieve greater particular in the windows, specially in the faces and hair of figures. This stylistic shift was a desperate change from the previous Gothic windows with their heavy use of brilliant colors. Painting as well allowed the windows to be made of larger pieces of drinking glass as the lead was no longer needed to create every singled-out line in the image. Buildings were starting to exist designed around the grandiose windows that would provide the majority of the light within. A fashion known equally grisaille rose to popularity to farther heighten the light in the churches in addition to the churches being constructed with lighter stone. This way focused on a monochrome pallet on the groundwork or entire window, with details painted on using silver.^[7] In the sixteenth century stained glass windows began to be used to decorate community buildings, homes, and businesses such every bit inns and the windows were mainly secular. The employ of leading also was further reduced in favor of painting on silver stained glass driven past the desire for detail, merely with more color than the grisaille manner. Donors to the art likewise began to be immortalized in the windows they paid for by being added into the design.^[8] The grisaille mode of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries served every bit a stark dissimilarity to the renaissance style windows of that aforementioned time period. The renaissance brought the return of more vivid colors that had exist deficient in the earlier centuries, and it also brought the employ of perspective to the fine art form adding dimension to the figures. Both forms had a significant amount of particular painted onto the drinking glass, but only renaissance way windows matched the resurgence of colors in the other art forms of the time.^[9]

Later on the terminate of the renaissance, especially in the nineteenth century, at that place was a revival of historic styles and techniques that focused more than on the quality of the drinking glass than the painting. The Gothic mode made a resurgence in popularity because of its focus on the glass and historical techniques. Many renovations of older buildings had damaged the stained drinking glass windows, and allowed for new windows remade in the older styles to be placed into the buildings. Geometric based designs and landscapes with vibrant colors became pop in America and England during this fourth dimension of revival. The twentieth century brought about new styles and applications to stained drinking glass. The Aesthetic styles of patterned, semiabstract, and non-figural work became popular especially in the United States. Stained drinking glass also began to take on new forms, such as lampshades and other home products; this is known equally the Arts and Crafts motility, bringing fine arts into the home of the middle-grade. Art Nouveau was Europe's response to the Aesthetic style in America and the increase of American glass production, putting even more drinking glass in middle-class homes and in buildings. Art Deco in the early twentieth century made its manner into stained glass using vibrant colors, geometry, and unproblematic designs. The movement had international popularity and appeared in many edifice across the globe, especially in Espana. Today the use of stained glass is as varied as information technology has ever been, even being used in sculptural elements like Lightpainting past Stephen Knapp on the front of the Gordon Library at WPI.^[10]

This window exemplifies the simplistic forms of the time, with all three of the figures lacking facial particular and the heavy apply of leading.
A display of the coat of artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy more characteristic of early stained glass windows.
A stiff example of Gothic stained drinking glass, with its heavy apply of reds and blues.
An example of the painted style of stained drinking glass, the centerpiece is all painted.
An instance of a grisaille panel that uses significantly lighter colors.
This panel has donors praying to patron saints in the lesser two scenes.
A 16th century grisaille panel with significantly less leading, and a non secular subject area.
A Tiffany fashion lampshade in the Art Nouveau manner ^[eleven]

Purpose

The purpose of stained glass windows is closely tied to its history, and has evolved over fourth dimension. In the beginning, information technology was only a mode of letting daylight into buildings through small windows and keep the walls completely airtight.^[12] Stained glass is a strong example of how something can transition from only a functional particular into an art course. As the windows became larger with larger individual pieces of glass, and higher quality was existence produced in the medieval period, religious figures realized they could use the windows to educate the illiterate masses about the bible. Light was besides symbolic to religious figures, in that it represented good and God'due south protection in the Old Attestation. Religious education in the medieval ages was very of import considering the church was the highest say-so in guild, and to achieve conservancy one must follow the give-and-take of God.^[13] Onward from the medieval ages, the utilize of stained glass had a dual purpose: to create religious images and to highlight the wealth of those who owned the edifice or were the patron of the fine art.^[14] In more recent times, some older homes, governmental buildings, and businesses have stained glass equally a design element, and based on the texture and opacity of the glass, as a fashion to increase privacy without decreasing light as well.^[15] In general, the master purpose of stained glass has stayed rather elementary throughout history: to let light into buildings while keeping the building completely enclosed.

Techniques

The process of creating a stained glass window boils downwards to seven simple steps, just information technology can be altered based on the technique used and desired appearance of the window. The outset office of the procedure is to develop a design for the window, sketch out the basic shapes and colors of the window. The next pace forrad is to create a template, called the cartoon, from the basic pattern and solidify the finalized pattern. This stride creates a guide for every piece of drinking glass that needs to be cut, and how the cut pieces are then later assembled and attached to become a cohesive piece. The cartoon is also important because if leading is being used it creates definitive pb lines and solder points.^[sixteen]

A set up of typical stained glass tools including
Tools Pictured (from left to correct):	Diamond tipped scorer, breaking pliers, palette knife, applicator brush, annoy brush, and a needle

The third step is to gather all of the needed tools and materials, and to prep the work space. Tools needed for most projects include:

A board to use as a cutting surface
A ventilation organization to reduce the fumes
A scoring tool to break the drinking glass along desired lines
A grozing tool to cut (break) the jagged edges of the glass
Lead strips or scraps
A lead pocketknife
An oyster pocketknife to manipulate the pb
A soldering atomic number 26 to attach the pieces of atomic number 82
A calorie-free box to check the design of gaps
A glass grinder for achieving different textures and fine curves
A scrubbing brush for the application and removal of cement
Whatever other tool deemed necessary or useful, equally each artist can choose to employ less or more tools than those listed.^[17]

A major role the entire process is the quaternary step, which is choosing the proper glass for the desired appearance. A good footing for choosing drinking glass is to option from a slab or pieces that are apartment and not too thick. Thickness is very important as information technology determines the majority of the weight of the window, and if it is too thick, the window could collapse and shatter under its ain weight. A few typical glass choices are:

An example of crowned glass^[18]
An example of Norman slab glass
An instance of antique glass
Description:	These are three different types of drinking glass, the virtually common of the three is antique glass.

Crowned glass, which is created by taking a bubble from a drinking glass blowing rod and flattening information technology into a panel. This drinking glass is not typically used in modern windows. This type of drinking glass appears typically in two forms: roundels and bullions. Both forms of the drinking glass have a circular pattern due to the manufacturing process, but bullions are any piece cut from that drinking glass and a roundel is a round bullion. Historically this type of glass is articulate, but that does not mean that it cannot exist found colored every bit well.^[19]
A Norman slab, which is created by blowing glass into a rectangular form and it is known to have an irregular texture and thickness making information technology difficult to work with. The uneven thickness of the glass too give it a slight foggy appearance, and the bumpy texture of the glass is visible^[xx]
A crossed/pressed slab, which is created by rolling molten glass onto a table with a rolling pin. The pivot and table take indentations to create texture just the drinking glass is oftentimes hard to piece of work with because of the differing thicknesses.
Antiquarian drinking glass is the standard glass used for stained glass windows. It is created by creating a glass bubble, piercing both sides making a cylinder, and and then cutting the cylinder and letting it unfurl and cool apartment. the drinking glass tin be made with a multifariousness of colors and textures. A singular color is accomplished by mixing in metallic compounds into the drinking glass creating pot glass, while multiple color tin can exist achieved past mixing potted glass or using the wink method. The flash method uses a bubble of glass with a large amount of a lite base color, and and so dipping that bubble into a darker color creating a multilayered slab.
- If the mixed colour was accomplished past mixing multiple potted glasses, it is called streaky or reamy glass based on the colors mixed and the ease of cut. Reamy glass specifically has a wavy pattern in the colors, with bands of stiff tonal contrast. Streaky glass has a greater portion of low-cal colored sections with streaks of contrasting colors of varying thickness^[21].
Curious glass is glass that is an oddity or mistake of product and is ofttimes discarded by articles; this ways that the drinking glass can be any color or thickness.
Commercially produced glass is another option in that it is readily available and easy to produce. It is oft light in color and has a smooth texture.^[22]

An diagram of the copper and foil technique.This illustration shows how the copper is used as a base for the solder^[23]
An instance of the appliqué technique^[24]
An case of the leading technique^[25]
Annotation:	The virtually commonly seen technique is the leading technique because of its broad use throughout history.

The next footstep is to cut and shape the glass. Cut glass tin exist difficult for beginners because each cut must get to the border of the glass making intricate cuts challenging. To cut the drinking glass it first must be scored forth the desired line. Once scored, the drinking glass is then advisedly cleaved along the scored line using the pliers to firmly grip the glass.^[26] So the cutting pieces tin exist shaped and organized before moving onto assembly of the panel, which is the sixth step of the process. The window panel can be assembled in a few different methods the main methods are: copper and foil, appliqué, fusing, and leading. Copper and foil was popularized by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and is best known for the the use of copper and foil on a lampshade. The technique involves taking each slice of glass in the blueprint and wrapping the edges in copper foil which is and so soldered along the length of the seams. This method is similar to another called tinning which uses the aforementioned copper foil wrapping but lining the seam with flux, assuasive blobs of solder to flow throughout the seam to create the bond. Soldering two pieces tin can be washed in 2 main means the first of which is seam. seam is similar to tinning and copper and foil in that the solder is run between the ii joints, creating a apartment articulation. The other option is bead, which builds upon a seam with more flux and and so the solder is run above the joint until a raised line is formed to the desired height. Appliqué steps abroad from solder and it involved gluing the pieces to a clear slab. This changes the grouting of the glass from negative to positive, allowing more light to pass through. Fusing drinking glass involves overlapping each edge of every piece and and so firing the design in a kiln. The cease effect is a solid panel with no leading or gaps betwixt the drinking glass. The one principal trouble with this method is if the glass used in the panel is not homogeneous, it can atomic number 82 to cracking and uneven melting.^[27] Leading is the most commonly seen method in stained drinking glass. This method used atomic number 82 came to secure the glass in place, ofttimes in a grove in the atomic number 82, and then the lead is soldered to agree the pieces together. Cement is then used to secure the panel and fill whatsoever remaining gaps in the atomic number 82 calculation stability and waterproofing to the joints.^[28] The last footstep is to finish the window whether that be polishing the lead, packing for transport, installation, painting, or all of the above.^[29] Painting can add together detail to a stained glass design that can easily be achieved by the coloration of the glass or the assembly. If a panel is painted it volition need to exist fired in a kiln to set the paint.^[thirty]

Department ii: Deliverable

Creating my own Stained Glass Window

The Pattern

For the blueprint of my window, I took inspiration from nature and a window design I had seen while browsing on pinterest. I decided on a mount sunset scene for the beautiful array of colors that I could use and because I loved that design so much. I and then chose an image off google and used that equally a template for my pattern and then I could see how it would look broken into pieces. This original blueprint was contingent on how complex I could make my panel at the workshop. The master use I would have for this console is equally a decorative piece in my home, and maybe someday information technology could actually function every bit a window.

The Process

The procedure of creating my own stained drinking glass window began at 9:xxx a.thou. at Deko Studio in London. The first portion of the workshop involved learning how to properly handle and cut glass. I practiced scoring along a marker line and breaking glass for about an hour. The scoring tool works like a pen and carves a line into the glass, which can then be used to break the glass. At that place are three main methods I used for breaking the glass in my panel: scoring and using specialized pliers, scoring and tapping along the line, and scoring and using a dissimilar pair of specialized pliers. The two pairs of pliers were grozier pliers, for breaking small pieces, and the other was a pair of drinking glass breaking pliers for larger breaks and simple curves. Moving onto the actual panel creation, I was given a piece of newspaper to design my window with a design restraint of a maximum of eight pieces. For my design, I took my ideal design above and dramatically simplified the lines and colors. The concluding design ended up looking like a basic mountain sunset.

The chief historical influence on my design was the modern do-it-yourself movement, because I preferred the freedom to create any possible blueprint rather than staying within a limited historical mode. After creating my cartoon it became time to chose and cutting the colored glass. The type of glass we used was standard antiquarian glass, and was mainly the leftover pieces from commissioned art works. I picked pieces with a smooth texture for the sunset heaven considering I didn't desire my heaven to be too complicated, and the glass I chose had beautiful striations that helped me to achieve my desired dusk event. For the hills and copse I chose to use four different shades of green to add depth to the piece and in an attempt to go on the epitome more than realistic. I also chose to experiment with texture on two of the 4 pieces, further creating definition between each of the green pieces. Lastly, for the sunday I picked a textured yellow piece because I similar the more mellow refraction effect it had in the light.

Afterward I had accurately cutting each of my pieces, I began to cutting and shape the pb. This was the most hard part of the process because it required an incredible amount of precision. The beginning step was creating a corner of the frame, from which all other pieces would line up with. This was the about challenging part considering nailing the wood guide to the tabular array would often cause the cartoon to shift and to have to begin the process all over over again. After that had passed I began the tedious task of cutting and shaping thin pieces of lead to the curves of my glass pieces. This was the only moment where I regretted my blueprint choice because the lead would not hold the curved shapes very well. In one case all of the atomic number 82 was in place information technology was time for me to solder all of the joints, and using my prior experience I finished soldering rather chop-chop. Once I was finished soldering, the merely step left was to smooth my window.

The Result

Decision

After looking into the history, purpose, and techniques of stained drinking glass windows I practical my noesis to create my own window. Creating a stained glass window is a slow process of endlessly cutting glass and lead, hoping that in the end the pieces will fit together. It would be interesting to see how the art form will keep to evolve over fourth dimension and what the purpose of it will exist.

References

↑ ARMITAGE, E. (1959). Stained Drinking glass: history, technology and practice, etc (1st ed., pp. xix-21). Pl. 117. Leonard Hill: London.
↑ ARMITAGE, E. (1959). Stained Glass: history, technology and practice, etc (1st ed., pp. 22-28). Pl. 117. Leonard Hill: London.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, V. (2003). The history of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 32). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ ARMITAGE, E. (1959). Stained Glass: history, applied science and practice, etc (1st ed., pp. 19-21). Pl. 117. Leonard Loma: London.
↑ ARMITAGE, Eastward. (1959). Stained Glass: history, technology and practise, etc (1st ed., pp. 34-twoscore). Pl. 117. Leonard Loma: London.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, Five. (2003). The history of stained drinking glass (1st ed., pp. 88-111). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, V. (2003). The history of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 32). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ ARMITAGE, Eastward. (1959). Stained Glass: history, technology and do, etc (1st ed., pp. 34-forty). Pl. 117. Leonard Hill: London.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, Five. (2003). The history of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 112-141). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, V. (2003). The history of stained drinking glass (1st ed., pp. 32). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ Shanahan, K. (2001). Stained glass (1st ed., pp. 47). Lewes: Guild of Chief Craftsman Publications.
↑ ARMITAGE, E. (1959). Stained Glass: history, technology and do, etc (1st ed., pp. 19-21). Pl. 117. Leonard Hill: London.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, V. (2003). The history of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 10). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ ARMITAGE, E. (1959). Stained Drinking glass: history, technology and practice, etc (1st ed., pp. 22-28). Pl. 117. Leonard Loma: London.
↑ Chieffo Raguin, V. (2003). The history of stained drinking glass (1st ed., pp. 228). London: Thames and Hudson.
↑ Reyntiens, P. (1967). The technique of stained drinking glass (1st ed., pp. 40-45). London: Batsford.
↑ Shanahan, K. (2001). Stained glass (1st ed., pp. eight-13). Lewes: Guild of Primary Craftsman Publications.
↑ Böhringer, F. (2006). Angelika Kauffmann-Museum in Schwarzenberg im Bregenzerwald. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AKMuseum5.JPG
↑ Sourcebook 2015. (2015) (pp. 109). Retrieved from http://www.sgaaonline.com/SB2015-pdf/Sourcebook-2015OE.pdf
↑ Sourcebook 2015. (2015) (pp. i-ii). Retrieved from http://www.sgaaonline.com/SB2015-pdf/Sourcebook-2015OE.pdf
↑ Sourcebook 2015. (2015) (pp. 109). Retrieved from http://www.sgaaonline.com/SB2015-pdf/Sourcebook-2015OE.pdf
↑ Reyntiens, P. (1967). The technique of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 27-32). London: Batsford.
↑ O'Brien, V. (1986). Techniques of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 63). New York: Prentice Hall Press.
↑ Shanahan, M. (2001). Stained glass (1st ed., pp. 48). Lewes: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications.
↑ O'Brien, V. (1986). Techniques of stained drinking glass (1st ed., pp. 57). New York: Prentice Hall Press.
↑ Shanahan, 1000. (2001). Stained glass (1st ed., pp. fourteen-15). Lewes: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications.
↑ Shanahan, Chiliad. (2001). Stained glass (1st ed., pp. 49). Lewes: Society of Master Craftsman Publications.
↑ Shanahan, Chiliad. (2001). Stained drinking glass (1st ed., pp. 57-61). Lewes: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications.
↑ O'Brien, V. (1986). Techniques of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 88-92). New York: Prentice Hall Press.
↑ Reyntiens, P. (1967). The technique of stained glass (1st ed., pp. 73). London: Batsford.

External Links

Here is the website for the studio where I made my window: Deko Studio.

lawsasts1975.blogspot.com

Source: https://londonhuawiki.wpi.edu/index.php/The_History,_Purpose,_and_Techniques_of_Stained_Glass_Windows

Law Sasts1975