Stained glass windows in churches reflect light and color through Biblical pictures or religious themes, and create a reverent and mystical atmosphere for church goers. They also reflect religious history and changes in architectural styles.

Biblical Scenes in Stained Glass

In the 10th Century, Christians began building churches in the Romanesque style which evolved into Gothic and Renaissance cathedrals. The taller, thinner architectural style of Gothic churches called for larger windows, and noblemen, churchmen, and craft guilds commissioned artisans to create stained glass windows. Soon, stained glass windows with pictures of Christ and Biblical scenes appeared in French, German, and English cathedrals.

Stained Glass "Picture Books"

Abbot Suger of the Abbey of St. Denis in Paris, France, hired craftsmen to paint Biblical scenes on his church windows. He believed that beautiful windows with Biblical scenes would "lift men's souls closer to God." Biblical scenes painted on stained glass windows served as "picture books" for people to learn and understand Bible stories, because many of them couldn't read.

One of Oldest Stained Glass Windows

A stained glass window depicting the ascension of Christ to heaven in the cathedral at Le Mans, France, is one of the oldest stained glass windows, dating from the 11th Century. After the Middle Ages, stained glass art languished for more than 200 years until its revival in England in the mid-19th century.

Stained Glass Revives in America

The revival spread to America, and by the 1880s, stained glass windows were a standard item in churches, colleges, and public buildings. Louis Comfort Tiffany and John La Farge created many of these windows which replaced traditional, flat, color saturated glass with opalescent glass.

Stained Glass Comes Full Circle

After World War I, a movement for archeological accuracy in architecture called for new Gothic glass windows for neo-Gothic churches. Craftsmen like William Willet and Nicolai D'Ascenzo made stained glass windows for churches across America. Contemporary church windows are closer to the early Gothic style, creating an atmosphere of light and color and transforming the ordinary into the mystical.

Source:

Le Mans Cathedral

A History of Stained Glass

Stained Glass Artist Jim Piercey

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Stained Glass Windows