Posts Tagged ‘church’

Stained Glass History

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Making stained glass is an ancient art that can be traced back to the early Egyptians. Although the first colored glass may have been used as jewelry or even currency, we probably know the art form best from seeing stained glass in the windows of churches. These windows are really paintings that use light, glass and a metal framework to create a design.

The earliest stained glass windows were created for the Roman Catholic Church, and often told Bible stories in pictures. This was at a time when most people couldn’t read, so these luminous paintings were one of the few representations of the glory and transcendent nature of their spiritual beliefs. At a time before television, radio or even pictures painted on canvas, stained glass windows wer­e probably one of the most dramatic, instructive and important works of art most people were exposed to.

Many of these ancient masterpieces have been lost as a result of religious upheavals and political strife, but many still remain, like the stained glass windows at Chartres Cathedral in France, or at Canterbury Cathedral in England. Read more »

The Tiffany Angel

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I am back with a new article, I have been out of commission for a bit with this crazy back pain, so I am sharing a article and photo from Natchez Mississippi. My mother just visited The Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchez, MS and sent me some awesome photos so I thought I would share this with you. Its a lot of information but I found it to be very interesting hope you will too. The stained glass piece is actually is in 3D. I hope to go see this myself and maybe this will inspire you to visit also. Hope you enjoy this article.

The message of the 1890s Resurrection Angel window on the north side of the Trinity nave relates directly to its 1960s counterpart on the opposite side of the church where Jesus addresses the sisters Mary and Martha of Bethany.  Following this incident with Jesus, when Martha went out to meet him after the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus’ response to her included this phrase, inscribed in the base of the Resurrection Angel window:

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”  John XI:25

Above this inscription, in the main body of the window, an angel stands before the empty sepulcher (tomb).  With one hand the angel holds a palm branch, the Roman symbol of victory that was transformed by the Christian story into a complex indicator of martyrdom and glory. Many images of Christian saints throughout history carry palms to indicate their death as martyrs.  Of course palms also remind viewers of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week; in the Episcopal tradition, the celebratory fronds of Palm Sunday will be burned to create the ashes to mark the foreheads of the faithful at the beginning of the following Lent to remind them of their mortality.

With the other hand, the window angel points upward to heaven where the women visiting the tomb will be able to see Jesus again.  The gesture may also be one of reassurance to the frightened women at the empty tomb.  From the earliest accounts in Genesis of Abraham’s encounters with God’s messengers, their effect on those they meet is often terrifying, so their first words are often, “Fear not.”

The artist of the Trinity window has provided a traditional white-robed angel in the form of a winged figure, though none of the gospel accounts makes any reference to wings.  But wings have throughout history been depicted on angels, seraphim, cherubim, and on the symbols of the four evangelists as indicators to the viewers of their divine mission.

The Trinity angel hardly seems terrifying in the Old Testament sense.  He is more tastefully tame, with his handsome Grecian profile, sculptural three-dimensional folds in his robe, and neatly hewn marble sepulcher, framed by a pair of columns topped with classically carved capitals of acanthus leaves. A similarly classical border of acanthus and lotus surrounds the heraldic cross at the top of the window.

This is one of two windows in the Trinity nave attributed to the workshop of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the most acclaimed American stained glass artist at the turn of the twentieth century, noted for the monumental classical elegance of his figured pieces, the multicolored luminescence of his glass, and for his technique of layering and sculpturing the glass itself – all of which are clearly visible in the Trinity window.

Interestingly, though, the composition relates less closely to other Resurrection Angel windows installed by Tiffany in American churches than it does to an 1862 drawing in the Tate Gallery, London, for a church window in Brighton, England designed by noted English artist and designer William Morris. The drawing shows a remarkably similar empty sepulcher and hand gestures, though the angel in the Morris drawing is seated.

This window was dedicated to the Glory of God and in loving memory of George W. Koontz (1816-1876) and Mary Roane Koontz (1827-1895). The quote below the window is appropriate to a memorial dedication; it is the opening line of the Prayer Book service for Burial of the Dead in both Rite I and II.  The window’s image is a reminder and a comforter that departed loved ones no longer reside in any earthly box but have obtained the ultimate freedom and joy in heaven above.

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco stained Glass Windows

Grace Cathedral Church San Francisco California

Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. We spent our weekend exploring San Francisco, we finally went to the Grace Cathedral Church to see the awesome stained glass work. Talk about great pieces and a lot of them.

Here is a little history about the church.

 

The cathedral has become an international pilgrimage center for church-goers and visitors alike, famed for its mosaics by De Rosen, a replica of Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, two labyrinths, varied stained glass windows, Keith Haring AIDS Chapel altarpiece, and medieval and contemporary furnishings, as well as its 44 bell carillon, three organs, and choir.

Contained in the cathedral are 7,290 square feet of stained glass windows by noted artists that depict over 1100 figures ranging from Adam and Eve to Albert Einstein. 32 windows or window groups, dating from 1930 to 1966, were designed by American Charles Connick and his Boston studio. Connick windows include The Chapel of Grace and baptistry window series that contains over 32,000 pieces of glass and covers nearly 833 square feet. The Cathedral also contains 24 faceted windows by Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France, including the Human Endeavor series depicting John Glenn, Thurgood Marshall, Jane Addams, Robert Frost, and Einstein. Between 1995-1998 several of the cathedral’s choir and aisle windows were restored by Reflection Studios of Emeryville, California.

Selecting a Quality Stained Glass Studio

Quality Staiend Glass Studio selection

Everyone wants to know the magical formula to select the correctstained glass studio to complete his or her project. While a studio cannot do this for you, there are ways to sort through the information and make a quality selection.

A common question that the clergy will ask a stained glass studio is, “How do I get an apples to apples bid?” Unlike many industries, stained glass is extremely specialized. Often, others do not know the terms and jargon outside the industry. This is what inspired Associated Crafts to write this article.

The other aspect of this industry is the lack of regulation by the industry. The industry consists of many smaller companies started by craftsmen and artists who took a hobby and changed it into a career. This is certainly admirable but these individuals often do not have the knowledge of all the facets of the business or of stained glass. Professional studios often compete with specifications written by some completely incompetent companies. This is why we diligently work to educate our clients. Often times, a simple understanding of terms and jargon will allow the church to see the correct scope of work. Read more »