Stained Glass Windows

When Louis Comfort Tiffany began to work with glass, in the second half of the nineteenth century, no one could have predicted how successful he would become. Although he is more popularly known for his lamps, Tiffany's stained-glass windows (created for homes, universities and churches) are intricate and beautiful.

Wealthy parishioners, from various churches, commissioned this multi-talented artist to create ecclesiastical windows memorializing their loved ones. Although his style resembles medieval glass-making, Tiffany's colors are even more vibrant and varied. Some of his most famous works are currently owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Stories told by modern stained-glass windows, even for churches, are not always religious. The Oude Kerk in Delft (which dates back earlier than 1246) has a modern window (from the 1960s) featuring Holland's Queen Wilhelmina returning to her country after the end of World War II.

Works in glass, from ancient times to the present, continue to fascinate us. Even though glass workers today use a wider range of colors than their counterparts used centuries ago, it is still amazing to see the craftsmanship which medieval artisans employed. And then ... there is the surviving glass from ancient times.

How, for example, was the amazing Lycurgus Cup (likely made in Rome during the fourth century, AD) created? It is the only known complete example of ancient dichroic glass. When it is put to light, the cup almost magically changes color.

We do not know who made this exquisite object anymore than we know who created most of the medieval works featured in this story. But thanks to Theophilus, we at least know how they made their glass.