| The art of stained glass windows has changed greatly | | | | depicted. Craftsman of the Gothic period could only |
| over time, from the Greco-Roman civilizations to the | | | | make small panes of glass, about the size of a hand, |
| most recent American style. It can be traced back to | | | | so the windows resembled a mosaic. Many of the |
| the Greco-Roman civilization. Based on the remains of | | | | windows were not painted at all during this time. If the |
| Pompeii and Heraculaneum, stained glass was a | | | | window was painted, the only color available was grey, |
| domestic luxury for wealthy Romans, rather than an | | | | which was applied by the painter, and was then fixed |
| art form. When the Greco-Roman civilization collapsed, | | | | by a process of enameling. The painters usually used |
| the tradition of stained glass survived and eventually | | | | this grey color to draw finer outlines, ornaments, and |
| spread throughout Europe. Much of what we know | | | | smaller folds of drapery onto the window. Paintwork |
| today about the early production of stained glass | | | | was often crude and unsophisticated during the Gothic |
| windows comes from the book "Schedula diversarum | | | | period. Producing a specific color was not an easy |
| atrium," written by the monk Theophilus. This book | | | | task for glass craftsman. During this time, the heat of |
| dates back to the end of the eleventh century. It gives | | | | the furnace was what determined the color of the |
| a detailed description of the process for making of a | | | | glass, and since the temperature of the furnace was |
| stained glass window. Although new technologies have | | | | hard to regulate, it was difficult to produce any specific |
| been developed over the years to improve the art of | | | | color. The principle colors that were used during the |
| stained glass windows, the same basic method that | | | | Gothic period are red, green, blue, and yellow. |
| Theophilus describes is still used today. | | | | Near the end of the Gothic period, there were two |
| The early period of stained glass production was from | | | | discoveries that took the art of stained glass windows |
| about 1000- 1500 A.D. This was during the Gothic Age, | | | | to a new level, namely silver stain and the abrasion of |
| and thus, stained glass windows that were created | | | | flashed glass. With these new discoveries, stained |
| during this time are in the Gothic style. The construction | | | | glass craftsman were now able to do several things |
| of new churches is what launched the production | | | | that before they could not do. Stained glass craftsman |
| stained glass windows during this time. The Gothic age | | | | of this time were constantly coming up with new |
| produced many of the great cathedrals of Europe, and | | | | combinations, and thus, more intricate windows. Skill |
| stained glass windows, as we know them, started to | | | | level was also increasing during this time, and stained |
| be created to fill these new cathedrals. Medieval | | | | glass craftsman were able to produce larger panes of |
| craftsman during the Gothic age were more interested | | | | glass, which also enhanced their artistic ability. More |
| in illustrating an idea than creating natural or realistic | | | | information about these specific discoveries and the |
| images. Many of the images were abstract. Also, | | | | history of stained glass windows is available at the |
| there was often severe frontality of the image being | | | | D.C. Riggott website. |