Stained Glass Windows- a Light unto the Soul
Grand and magnificent cathedrals carved up gigantic stones and supported by immense pillars and flying buttresses reaching up towards the Heavens in worship of God and His son were crowned with beautiful jewels known as stained glass. In some Cathedrals, stained glass panels covered entire walls and the supporting pillars go almost entirely unnoticed. The pillars alone could not have supported the weight of the structure, which is the purpose of the flying buttresses (they braced the structure from the outside).
The art of making stained glass has been poetically referred to as "painting with light" taking the analogy even further. This term was coined due to the fact that rather than reflecting light off of it, a stained glass window allows light to be transmitted through it. It is a unique partnership, as neither the light nor the window is as magnificent without the other.
Abbot Suger of the Cathedral at St. Denis in France was among the first to employ the Gothic form of architecture in an attempt to glorify God and Jesus Christ. The following quote is taken from a writing of Suger, included as a part of a transcription on the doors to the Cathedral. That gives insight into his motivations for using large amounts of stained glass and the relationship of the physical light to the spiritual, "...The noble work is bright, but, being nobly bright, the work should brighten the minds, allowing them to travel through the lights to the true light, where Christ is the true door."
He later gave a detailed explanation as to what the purpose of the exemplary works of stained glass window art were in the church; "Thus sometimes when, because of my delight in the beauty of the house of God, the multicolor loveliness of the gems has called me away from external cares, and worthy meditation, transporting me from material to immaterial things, has persuaded me to examine the diversity of holy virtues, then I seem to see myself existing on some level, as it were, beyond our earthly one, neither completely in the slime of earth nor completely in the purity of heaven.
By the gift of God I can be transported in an anagogical manner from this inferior level to that superior one." Walking into a mighty cathedral such as St. Denis, even today, one can feel the influence this passion for light had on the development of the art of stained glass making and the worship of God during the Gothic Era.
Comments
Menu
My Articles
Sandblasting Stained GlassStained Glass Scoring And Breaking - An Art In Itself
How To Buy Stained Glass
How To Decorate With Stained Glass
How To Repair Your Stained Glass Window
Enhance The Beauty Of Your Garden With Stained Glass Art
Painting Stained Glass - Not As Mysterious As It Seems
Designing Your Own Stained Glass
Supplies For Getting Started In Stained Glass
Stained Glass Copper Foil Technique
Mastering Difficult Stained Glass Cuts
Stained Glass Workshop Safety Tips
How Much Will A Custom Stained Glass Window Cost?
Beginning Stained Glass Class - What Should I Expect To Learn
Stained Glass Artisan, Louis C. Tiffany
How To Properly Solder Your Stained Glass
Stained Glass Painting
Stained Glass Projects For Children
Stained Glass Windows- A Light Unto The Soul
John La Farge, American Stained Glass Artist
Stained Glass Lead Came Technique
How To Install Your Stained Glass Window
Turn Your Stained Glass Hobby Into A Fun Job
How Stained Glass Is Made
My Articles Mastering Difficult Stained Glass Cuts You're getting pretty good at the basics of scoring and.. How To Buy Stained Glass If you have a retail stained glass shop, you probably already.. How Stained Glass Is Made Stained glass is a beautiful and unique art form that has existed for.. |
|
|
Related News:
|