Chp.4 Gothic Stained Glass Flashcards
Gothic stained glass
Abbot sugar started the trend in St Denis Cathedral, Paris (1144)
He believed a divine mystical light shone through the beautiful windows
Function of stained glass
Teach bible and lives of Christian saints to illiterate
Spiritually uplifting experience
Glorify the Christian church
Composition and design
Designers of stained-glass windows had to consider the following
Imagery to reflect ideas of the patron
Colours, materials and techniques available to them
Scale and format of the window openings
Window formats
Rose windows (large) Medallion windows (smaller and circular) Pointed arch windows Geometric patterns formed by stone tracery, dividing the windows into sections
Colour
Blue was used throughout to create a unifying effect
Stages of stained glass process
1 glass made by melting sand and wood ash
2 coloured by adding powdered metal oxides (e.g silver) to molten glass
3 pieces of glass laid over design
4 individual pieces cut and shaped
5 fine details painted on with dark black/brown enamel paint
6 pieces fired in kiln to fuse dark enamel to glass
7 pieces assembled with strips of lead reinforced by an iron frame
8 finished stained glass mounted in the window opening
How stained glass is related to architecture
Gothic architectural design focused on providing a framework for stained-glass
cathedrals became taller and there were more openings and walls to accommodate stained glass
flying buttresses support of the weight of the roof in order to allow greater areas of stained-glass
Development of stained glass
Stained-glass of the 12th and 13th centuries who is vividly coloured with deep ruby some blues which stood out in dark interiors (Chartres)
in the 14th and 15th centuries colours became more muted due to increased daylight because of larger windows stone window tracery became more ornate from the 14th century onwards
Chartres cathedral
Best collection of mediaeval stained glass in France contains
176 stained glass windows covering more than 2500 m²
the windows were erected in 35 years between 1200 and 1235
nine master stained-glass artist with hundreds of of assistants worked on these windows
The interior of the church is dominated by large areas of stained-glass the exterior is dominated by stone sculpture
Today 800 years later the deep rich colours still remain
The blue virgin
The blue virgin came from the demolished Romanesque cathedral at Chartres it was inserted into a tall 13th century lancet pointed arch window in the choir of the Gothic cathedral
The Virgin Mary is represented as the Queen of Heaven with a dove symbolising the holy spirit above her she has a crown and halo and the Christ child is in her lap
North rose window
The team of the north rose window at Chartres is the glorification of the virgin.
The virgin and Child are in the centre of the rose surrounded by doves and angels, the French royal coat of arms old Testament prophet and kings.
The window tracery or stone framework subdivide the rose window and helps to unite its different parts.
The window is more than 12 m in diameter
Central lancet window
The rose window and the tall lancet windows Beneath were paid by Blanche Queen of France
The central lancet window has St.Anne (Virgin Mary’s mother) holding the infant Mary the other four lancets have old testament figures such as King David
Sainte chapel le Paris
Built by French king in order to hold a relic of the crowns thorns worn by Christ
The main theme of the Windows is the crucifixion
Built in the high Gothic Rayonnant style with much more windows to let in light.
The vertical Lancet window openings with their decorative stone tracery dominate the interior of the chapel
Colours of the stained-glass were more muted the effect such as within the darker interior of Chartres was lost
