The making of
stained-glass windows has hardly changed since the 12th century.
A stained-glass window consists of pieces of colored glass held
together in a latticed web of lead. The glass has previously had
details of faces, hands and drapery painted and fired on to it
in black or brown paint. About the year 1300, yellow stain was
discovered. This had the ability to turn white glass
yellow or blue glass green, and was extremely useful in the
highlighting of hair, haloes and crowns.
Although colored
glass making continued the 17th and 18th centuries, the craft
declined and skills were lost. Only in the 19th century was
there a serious attempt to rediscover the techniques of the
medieval glazier. Men like the antiquarian Charles Winston, and
the architect A W N Pugin helped to re-establish the scholarly
principles for a Gothic Revival of stained glass. As a result of
Winston's technical experiments of the 1850s, the quality of
colored glass approached that of the medieval glaziers. Today
almost all parish churches and cathedrals contain Victorian
windows. Their quality and craftsmanship are now widely
recognized.
Glass creations
by David Meredith reflect his deep appreciation for a craft
steeped in tradition & history.
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