Stain Glass Windows Visual Research

Stain glass windows consist of multi coloured forms of glass fused together with lead to create illustrative works that tell a story. At first the early forms of stain glass had little colours but colours were added through the use of chemicals and dyes. As different forms of stain glass were discovered more colours were available to be added to these stain glass pieces. Yellow stain glass was used to high certain elements of an illustration such as a halo or crown.

According to BBC.co.uk church floor plan interactive game (2014), they were in demand for clients, because people believed that they helped provide a sure entry into heaven when they died. Stain glass windows continued to be used and produced but it was until the church reformed in the 1500s when they decided that stain glass was no longer an effective form of sacred art. The art of stain glass making fell into obscurity until the 1850s when the lost art was rediscovered. The stain glass mainly consists of glass shards merged together with lead and are painted over on coloured stain glass. It doesn't have to be a collection of glass pieces together. Sometimes a single glass panel is enough to tell a story. The Archangel Michael Vanquishing the Devil, is a good example of this. What helps emphasis their appearance is that light can pass through them like a normal glass window. In this case, it helps illuminate the painting and give it more effectiveness in this story. In the 1400s, glass windows became common place and affordable by most people. It was long before that that the stain glass windows were used in churches. There was a time when stain glass was used at a smaller scale for houses and families. Some would be used for a family portrait. It was in the sixth century that the head of the catholic church, Pope Gregory requested that artists tell the story the stories of the bible as a way to educate people as it allowed those who could not read books to be able to understand the ideas and stories of the bible's teachings through visual representation. Gies, Joseph and Frances discuss how stainless illustrations allow "illiterate people to learn what books cannot teach them. (Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages, page 130.) as quoted in https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/STORIES-in-GLASS-Stained-Glass-Windows

Stain Glass is still used to these days but the style of it has been used in different ways. In a few examples, this artist has used the style of stain glass to reinterpret the stories depicted in the World of Warcraft MMORPG series. Each of the panels represents the expansion of Warcraft. In the below image, it is a stain glass style mural which tells the story of Garrosh the warlord of the horde and how he ended up in the past. The expansion is about Garrosh travelling to Draenor before the first RTS game in the nineties. The top section of the shows us the warlords of Draenor and the dark portal. the arch of the portal helps act as a frame for a focal point. Garrosh is showing his back while stretching out to grab frames to suggest that he is trying to bend the timelines. The presence of gears and clogs helps indicates the them of time and the concept of time. Underneath Garrosh is an illustration of Garrosh's trial and how he was judged by the four spirits of Draenor. the overlay of warm colours connects with the primary colour them for the expansion.The Black Prince and the bronze dragon aspect is present on the mural

Vision of Time (Guo 2015)

Fall of Arthas (Guo 2011)

Hour of Twilight (Guo 2011)

Another example of this style being used in a different media is in the game legend of Zelda Windwaker.

Legend of Zelda Stain Glass (Nintendo 2002)

Book References
AwesomeStories.com, 2008. Stories in Glass. [online] Available at: https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/STORIES-in-GLASS-Stained-Glass-Windows [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

Bbc.co.uk, 2014. BBC - History - British History in depth: Church Interiors Challenge. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/games/church_floorplan/index_embed.shtml [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

Gies, F. and Gies, J. 1994. Cathedral, forge, and waterwheel. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Guo, J. 2011. Fall of Arthas. [image] Available at: http://breathing2004.deviantart.com/art/fall-of-Arthas-213820425 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2015].

Guo, J. 2015. Vision of Time. [image] Available at: http://breathing2004.deviantart.com/art/Vision-of-Time-545394498 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2015].

Guo, J. 2011. Hour of Twilight. [image] Available at: http://breathing2004.deviantart.com/art/hour-of-twilight-252584914 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2015].

Khan Academy, n.d. Khan Academy. [online] Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/latin-western-europe/gothic1/a/stained-glass-history-and-technique [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

Nintendo, 2002. Legend of Zelda Stain Glass. [image] Available at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/eb/6d/69/eb6d6903d545a0c9efd0ccc3de12bd2a.jpg [Accessed 27 Oct. 2015].

Stainedglassmuseum.com, 2015. A Brief History of Stained Glass. [online] Available at: http://stainedglassmuseum.com/briefhistory.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

The Archangel Michael Vanquishing the Devil. 1530. [Colourless glass , oxide paint and silver strain] Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.