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Gothic Art
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STAINED GLASS
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STAINED GLASS
The art of stained glass was an integral part of Gothic culture. At the beginning of the 13th century. Western master masons came together from far and wide to work on the construction site of Chartres Cathedral. This remains one of the few cathedral interiors that retains the original stained glass. Work in glass is an art of many disciplines. As well as its technical evolution, well documented by Theosophus and others, this medium carried rich symbolism and iconography, much of the meaning and impact of which is lost to us today. Organic forms fit well with the compartmentalized sections. For the Tree of Jesse", a popular subject first used by Abbot Suger in the Saint-Denis window, curving sections were used to contain within the branches the Kings, the Virgin, and the hierarchy of heaven. Medallions and lozenge shapes were commonly used to divide the events of the great stories of the Bible, the life of Christ, and. most enduring of all, images glorifying the Virgin, the locus of devotion, especially during the 13th century. Most striking of all was the glorious colour that streamed into places of worship all across Europe, bringing light and meaning to the promise of eternal enlightenment from heaven.
