The history of stained glass in Russia and the world. The art of making stained glass

The word "stained glass" itself is translated from Latin as "glass". It is considered one of the most sophisticated and special forms of art, rich in its history and performance techniques. A brief history of the appearance of the stained-glass window will be told to the reader in the article.

Prerequisites for the occurrence of stained glass

Teachers, telling the story of the stained glass window for children in the classroom, begin with the root causes of its occurrence. The appearance of the first civilizations is associated with many discoveries. It was then that glass began to be mined. Over time, we learned to make it color and use it to decorate various objects. Each culture had its own characteristics of the use of such glass:

• The Sumerians adorned the roofs of their temples.
• The Egyptians wound glass with a spiral and made colored vessels out of it.
• The Romans and Greeks were specialists in the manufacture of antique vases and goblets with decorative carvings and many ornaments.

All these discoveries date back to the beginning of the second millennium BC. Only after another thousand years, the Syrians learned to blow glass, which gave rise to the history of the development of stained glass.

The first stained glass

In history, the appearance of the stained glass window is not marked by an exact date. But it is known that in the Christian era for the first time began to use colored glass for the manufacture of simple pictures. It was putty on planks or decorated with windows. And with the advent of the first temples, Byzantine stained glass windows received their development. Laudatory verses and descriptions of glass compositions were popular with poets of the fourth and fifth centuries. In those days, stained glass windows were given divine significance, and the light passing through them was compared with the holy spirit.

The history of development

Unfortunately, stained glass windows older than the tenth century in general condition did not reach our era. They can be judged by the remaining fragments and poets. But in the future, this type of art was widely developed and spread throughout all countries. Let us consider in more detail the history of the origin of stained glass, the change of styles and techniques in each era.

Romanesque stained glass

The story of the appearance of stained-glass windows tells that the Romanesque arose in the eleventh century and were relevant for a whole century. They were the first classic stained-glass windows in which the picture was made up of pieces of colored glass and a metal profile.

Features of Romanesque stained-glass windows:

• not everyone could afford them because of the high cost, since the technique of melting and blowing glass was very complex and time-consuming;
• there were separate masters for the preparation of thin sheets of glass and specialists in the direct compilation of paintings, which increased the quality of Roman stained glass;
• for the manufacture of one panel took more than a hundred different pieces, each of which had its own shape and color;
• stained-glass windows of this era are characterized by such defects as the presence of bubbles, bumps, scuffs, but this does not spoil their appearance at all, but makes them special and charming in their own way.

Technique of making Romanesque stained-glass windows:

• To begin with, the master took a wooden surface and outlined a drawing of his future masterpiece;
• then glass was selected for each element of the picture (in shape and size);
• the necessary fragments were painted with natural paint, then they were burned in the furnace to fix the picture;
• the mosaic into the whole image was made using narrow bindings from lead;
• since the windows in those days were large (about six meters), for greater strength and stability, one large composition was made up of several smaller panels.

Masterpieces of the Romanesque era:

• Christ's head from Weissembourg Abbey of Alsace;
• a composition of four Old Testament prophets in the Augsburg Cathedral;
• "Ascension of Christ" in the Augsburg Cathedral;
• “Crucifixion and Resurrection” on the cathedral windows in Poitiers;
• Three stained glass windows of the Holy Trinity in the Cathedral in Chartres.

Gothic stained glass

The history of stained glass (Gothic) dates back to 1144. Abbot Sergius during the construction of the church in Saint-Denis filled the windows with several vertical medallions. The main difference from the Romanesque style in this composition was that each medallion revealed an important moment in history.

Features of gothic stained glass:

• in the cathedrals began to increase the number of windows for their design in the Gothic style;
• such architecture quickly gained popularity and was developed in England and France;
• stained-glass windows of the past gave the temple a gloom associated with evil, and at the same time great spirituality, contained in a large amount of light; this ratio became ideal and carried a mystical meaning;
• over time, the saturated colors of red and blue were gradually replaced with lighter ones, so that as many rays as possible passed inside;
• the types of window openings have also changed;
• in France, they invented a new technique of lightening - grisaille, the essence of which was that light, radiant stained-glass windows were placed in dark bulky rooms, letting in light; over time, the number of techniques of this style has become even more.

The most famous stained glass windows, made in the classic Gothic style, are in the Cathedral in Chartres. It is in it that it is easy to track the harmony between the majestic windows, gloomy architecture and the interior concept of the room. The flow of a large number of rays into the darkness and darkness gives a stunning and bewitching effect - this is the beauty of Gothic. Also in this cathedral there was a peculiarity, which later spread throughout the world - these are windows according to the Latin cross pattern . They represent the life of the Virgin. And in the windows, rosettes depict Christ and the Virgin Mary.

Renaissance Stained Glass

A new wave in culture, including architectural, was provoked by such terrible events as war and the plague epidemic. By the fifteenth century, people ceased to put the church in first place and moved on to a secular lifestyle. This greatly influenced the further development of stained glass.

Features of stained-glass windows of the Renaissance:

• There are many more advanced techniques for working with glass;
• there was absolutely the invention of silver etch, which significantly increased the level of the created paintings;
• the colors began to be applied directly to the glass, this made it possible to obtain many unusual shades;
• Images look more voluminous and vivid;
• France and Italy are the main centers for the production of stained glass;
• medallions, not more than thirty centimeters, came into fashion, they became symbols of this era.

Examples of Renaissance stained glass:

• windows of the Florence Cathedral, created by Italian masters;
• windows of the monastery in Königsfelden;
• stained glass in the Besserer chapel in Ulm Minster.

Stained Glass High Renaissance

Until the sixteenth century, craftsmen made stained-glass windows according to the classical pattern, until such craftsmen as Rafael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo appeared. It was they who had a great influence on world culture, including the history of stained glass art in Russia.

Features of the stained glass windows of the High Renaissance:

• since most of the stained glass masters were Italians, they became the authors of new trends;
• the art of this era combined realism, elements of European decoration and bulky forms;
• a new glass processing technique was developed , made it more transparent and clean;
• in addition to silver, they also invented red etching;
• masters began to give preference to the color scheme, rather than distortion of forms and sensuality of the image;
• the openings in the windows expanded even more and reached gigantic proportions.

An example of stained glass from the era of the High Renaissance:

• The Jesse Tree in Beauvais;
• huge windows of the Brussels Cathedral;
• "The Expulsion of Iliodor from the Temple" in the Cathedral in Gouda.

The sixteenth century is considered the last in the heyday of stained glass in the Middle Ages. Further, glass manufacturing and painting techniques began to progress very rapidly. The twentieth century had a great influence on stained glass design methods.

The history of stained glass in Russia

Russian stained glass did not exist until the nineteenth century. Only wealthy people could enjoy the masterpieces brought from abroad. The thing is that domestic churches and cathedrals did not provide for stained glass, and culture as a whole did not need this kind of art. They appeared and immediately gained popularity thanks to the work of European masters.

The history of stained glass in Russia:

• XVII century - the first appearance of stained glass;
• XVIII century - stagnation in development due to unprofitability;
• the beginning of the XIX century - the gradual penetration of paintings made of stained glass into Russian culture;
• the middle of the XIX century - the active use of stained glass; the emperor and other wealthy people adopted European fashion and began to use them to decorate their estates; then stained-glass windows appeared in churches;
• the end of the XIX century - many workshops on artistic skill were built, as well as painting classes and schools;
• the first half of the XX century - stained glass art began to decline due to the extinction of Art Nouveau, and subsequently due to the outbreak of World War II;
• the middle of the 20th century - the revival of stained glass by Soviet culture, unique works appeared that differ from previous paintings in their originality and ambiguity.

Famous Russian stained glass windows:

• decoration with stained-glass windows of the church of St. Alexander Nevsky;
• a chapel in Tsarskoye Selo;
• Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg;
• "Ascension of Christ" in St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Stained Glass: History and Present

Having examined in detail the historical side of the development of types of stained-glass windows in different eras, I would like to turn to contemporary art. Stained-glass windows of our time exist in order to give the room a style and a special chic. Many glass making techniques, the development of design and fashion have become key moments in the emergence of new types of this art.

Modern types of stained-glass windows:

• Sandblasting stained-glass window - a composition of glasses made in the sandblasting technique and connected by one common theme. It is made up on the whole surface, most often in one color.
• Mosaic stained glass window - consists of particles of about the same size, resembling a mosaic. It can be a background or a main image.
• Stacked glass - a pattern created from individual pieces of glass of the desired shape and color, usually without any additions.
• Fusing - the glasses from which the composition is assembled are sintered among themselves in a conceived position. Still to this type include the sintering of individual foreign elements into the finished image.
• Fill stained-glass window - consists of glass with the contour of the intended image applied to it. Each detail is poured with special paints or varnish.
• Etched stained glass is a collection of glasses made using the etching technique and connected by a common meaning.
• Soldering stained-glass window - is made up of colored glasses fixed in a lead frame and sealed at the joints. The oldest technique that came from the Middle Ages.
• Faceted stained-glass windows - when assembling them, glass is used, from which the facet was previously removed. Another option is the use of polished and polished glasses.
• Combined stained-glass windows - compositions that simultaneously include several types of stained-glass windows. This technique helps to achieve amazing results, to create truly original masterpieces.

Stained Glass Tiffany

Lewis Tiffany became the founder of his own style and stained glass technology, which became popular around the world. He worked for a very long time on the selection of materials, and most importantly, on methods of fixing glass, since medieval methods did not suit him at all. What turned out as a result of these works completely eclipsed the soldered stained-glass window. So how does this technique differ from others and why in the history of Tiffany stained-glass windows are considered one of the most prestigious, we will consider in more detail.

Tiffany Style Features:

1. Color. Brightness has always been a very important criterion for Lewis Tiffany when working with stained glass. He tried to achieve the greatest possible saturation and originality in the colors used. Sometimes the master mixed tones, and sometimes he placed one (or even several) glass on top of another.
2. Material. Quality is what makes the stained glass window a must-have. Before starting the preparation of stained glass, the glass always underwent a rigorous check, they should be without the slightest defects and the same texture.
3. Realism. The master’s works were so perfect, complex, full of details and colors that they were often compared with painting.
4. Technology. The glass was connected to each other by means of a copper tape. Since it was wider than the glass itself, the tape was bent around the edge, at an angle of ninety degrees. Finished elements were interconnected with tin and applied patina.
5. High price. Such works are very expensive, and you can find them only in private collections, English and American cathedrals and museums.

Shortly before the death of Lewis (1933), his company was closed, but still Tiffany's technique is considered one of the best, and his work is a masterpiece of art.