RE: Discussion Post 8.2

Re: Discussion Post 8.2

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

Re: Discussion Post 8.2

The process of creating stained glass windows is an intriguing and fascinating art medium. Stained glass windows have been around for hundreds of years. Ancient Egyptians and Romans were considered master when it came to making stained glass windows (Cheshire, 2017). Although the origins of the stained glass window are outside of Europe, the stained glass windows fitted in churches across Europe are of particular importance. The production of stained glass windows in Europe began in the 14th century with the Renaissance period (Cheshire, 2017). This period saw Europe making great strides in the domain of philosophy, literature, and specifically art (Cheshire, 2017).

There is a widespread agreement among the lovers of the arts that the process of making a stained glass window is indeed a delicate process. I, however, have not got an opportunity thus far to witness such piece of art taking shape. Neither have I ever witnessed an artist or a craftsman meticulously producing hand-blown glass. However, I have seen many videos and read numerous articles on the making of stained glass windows.

Obviously, the most attracting detail of the stained glass window is its color. The earlier production of stained glass windows saw colorless windows as the then population didn't know anything about the desirability of colors. However, Egyptians in around 3500 BC found out a way to make colored glass. Processes got refined with the passage of time and comprehensive research concluded that the addition of certain metals with the melting glass tends to give it a color. For instance, cadmium sulfide, gold chloride, and manganese oxide are used to give the glass yellow, red and purple color respectively.

The process of making the stained glass windows starts with melting the glass in a furnace to extreme temperatures (Castanò & Mingione, 2017). After that, a window pattern is created. In this process, the craftsman uses cardboard to make a pattern of the window (Castanò & Mingione, 2017). Then the glass is cut according to the desired shape and pattern. After that glazing and finishing of glass windows take place (Castanò & Mingione, 2017).

Gothic cathedrals have larger windows contrary to Romanesque and Byzantine cathedrals. The glass in the Gothic cathedral was blown into various shapes by artists. After that, they were cut and put together in a frame. Notre Dam is a famous Gothic cathedral located in Paris.

References

Castanò, F., & Mingione, G. (2017). The Space Narrated. The Stained Glass Windows of Pietro Chiesa in the Early Twentieth Century. In Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Proceedings (Vol. 1, No. 9, p. 878).

Cheshire, J. (2017). Stained glass and the Victorian gothic revival.