stained glass

Shanae Nge

Making stained glass is a lengthy and complex process, and a skilled craftsman is needed to create these pieces of art. Historically, the process of making stained glass has not changed much over time. The stained glass is made by cutting out glass from a full-sized design called a cartoon, then painting the details onto its surface and firing the glass in a kiln. The pieces are usually held together by strips of lead and are weatherproofed. Once the glazing is complete, the window is finally fixed into an opening. Use of different coloured enamel paints was introduced in the 15th century, which meant that windows were made of panes of clear glass that were painted on, instead of being composed of different pieces of coloured glass placed together. In addition, there are different kinds of glass used in the creation of stainedglass windows. The most commonly used is called pot-metal glass, which is a colourless or white glass created from a combination of silica, potash and lime. This compound is melted in a clay pot in the furnace and colour is consistent throughout the glass. The windows are created by putting pieces of pot-metal glass into a pattern of contrasting colours.1

Stained-glass windows are most prominently seen in churches and were important because of their iconography. These windows were multi-functional; they depicted scenes from the Old and New Testament or showed important patrons of the churches they were installed in, as well as providing protection against the outdoors. Before 1540, the images on the stainedglass windows were dominated by typology, hagiography, and local references to donors or patrons of the building.2 Typological cycles were used as means to interpret biblical history as links between the Old and New Testament and hagiographic cycles depicted the lives of saints. After 1540, however, the depiction of Biblical scenes was no longer prominent. Instead, new subjects such as, “historical battles and sieges, literary and allegorical themes, and the Classical world, with scenes and motifs from Greek and Roman mythology and literature”3 were more dominantly painted on stained-glass windows.

Stained-glass windows were also especially important because of the symbolism of the light. The coloured light that filtered into the churches from the windows added to the experience of being in a church. In the Old Testament of the Bible, light is associated with the goodness, power, and protection of God. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” This verse explicitly refers to God’s word as a light that guides us throughout our lives. Similarly, in the New Testament, light is associated with the nature of Christ himself. These concepts indicate that the purpose of stainedglass windows was not just the “poor man’s Bible”, as it has been suggested that the scenes on these windows were for the illiterate to be able to understand the important scenes in the Bible. Clearly, they were meant to invoke a deeper reaction to the viewer.

The piece I decided to do is one of the stained-glass windows in La Sagrada Familia, a basilica in Barcelona, Spain, created by Antoni Gaudi. Although many of the windows in the basilica do not feature any scenes from the Bible, the special way that the light shines through and envelops the church in light is in itself a spiritual experience. To me, stained glass is a metaphor for the way in which Christians interact with God. Without him, we, like the windows, do not fulfill our true purpose, which is to let his light shine through us. As Christians, we are called to be the light unto the world, such as in Matthew 5 when Jesus says to his disciples: “You are the light of the world” (5:14a) and compares them to a lamp that gives light to the inhabitants of a house (5:15). What these verses mean is that we must let our actions reflect the mercy and grace received from God towards others. Matthew 5:16 captures this idea perfectly: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Shanae is a third year Classicist at Somerville. She loves drinking bubble tea and taking long naps. She is a serial procrastinator and is probably having an essay crisis right now.

1 C. Hicks, V. C. Raguin, N. J. Morgan, & M. B. Shepard, “Stained glass.” Grove Art Online (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.