The stained glass windows that usually fill the churches and cathedrals of today, can be dated back to the 1100's. During the Gothic and Renaissance period, stained glass became a highly practiced artform throughout Europe. From a distance, it seems as if the glass itself is colored, but at closer look, most of the pieces are actually painted. When paint is added on top of glass, it gives the piece of art a three dimensional aspect. An artist would take many individual pieces, paint them, then lay all of the pieces together and melt them to create one solid piece. The name stained glass actually comes directly from the process. The side of the glass that would be facing outward receives a silver stain, that when put to the fire, stained the glass with a variation of yellow.Stained glass windows had a variety of purposes: they were used to draw the attention of citizens and bring them into church, and they told a story as many were illiterate at the time, because of the transparency of glass, the light would stream through adding a heavenly aspect and lighting, and they were simply a beautiful way to represent and glorify God.
Gothic architecture is specifically famous for its Rose Windows. Rose windows were many sections of glass, laid out to form some sort of circular flower/rose pattern. These were usually located at the front of the church or in the nave. Famous cathedrals such as the Chartres cathedral and the Notre Dame cathedral, both have large Rose Windows. Most art has a symbolic meaning behind it, and rose windows were no different. There were many things the stained glass windows could represent, but one of the most common was the representation of the 12 apostles and the connection with God. This window would have twelve individual pieces coming from a shared center piece"Rose Windows: Definition, Design and Symbolism Video." study.com, 2003-2019. https://study.com/academy/lesson/rose-windows-definition-design-symbolism.html
"Stained Glass: History and Technique." Khan Academy. 2019 https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/gothic1/a/stained-glass-history-and-technique
I like how you described the symbolism behind rose windows! Rose windows are such beautiful pieces of Gothic architecture and it's crazy to imagine the time and craftsmanship that would have been poured into a intricate project like this
ReplyDeleteI like how you discussed the purposes of stained glass windows and how they captivate the people of these cities and even in today's time.
ReplyDeleteI've really grown to be a fan of stained glass these past weeks. I enjoyed reading your blog post. The stained glass in St. Chapelle is marvelous as well!
ReplyDeleteThe tie to illiteracy and the glass being a way tell a story really struck me! I think that is a beautiful piece of stained glass' history.
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog post was unique in highlighting the purposes and functionality of stained glass windows. Although stained glass windows aren't as common these days and are known more for their aesthetic appeal, it was interesting how you indicated their main purpose of bringing in people to the church, as well as allowing people to comprehend the "hidden message" behind the windows.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this post. I just think it's so interesting that something of such age can withstand all the weather it is put through, and still be so vibrant and beautiful today. I also liked the rose widow you talked about, considering that was one of the main focuses in class, and just keeps providing examples of the perfect Gothic cathedral.
ReplyDeleteSomething I've always wondered about stained glass is how they are able to create the different colors, did you find anything about this during your research?
ReplyDeleteIt is such a good thing that the rose windows in Notre Dame survived the fire, those would have been truly unrepeatable
ReplyDeleteEmma, this is a really good post. I have been interested in gothic architecture since we began studying it in class. I love the Rose Windows of gothic architecture, which you pointed out wonderfully in this post. I find it interesting that windows often represented the 12 apostles and the connection with God.
ReplyDeleteThe amazing thing is that people are still making stained glass now at days. With this they are still using many of the same processes as the medieval ages.
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