Seeing through light : a selective history of architectural stained glass

This dissertation traces the history of glass in its architectural environment from the earliest surviving examples to the work of modern designers and architects producing new and exciting effects of light colour and form.

Chapter I: Origins

Chapter one explores the beginnings of architectural glass in the Middle Ages, investigating the ideology of the patrons and technical virtuosity of the craftsmen who created and constructed the great windows that still illuminate the interiors of many European cathedrals and churches. It follows the destructiveness of the Reformation, the re-emergence of stained glass with the 19th century Gothic Revival and the new form and expression that was found under William Morris, the Arts and Craft Movement and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Chapter II: Pre 1945

This chapter discusses Art Nouveau’s reaction to the historicism of the Victorian era. the subtle manipulation of light and space by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Britain and the innovative concepts of Frank Lloyd Wright in the United States. It moves on to investigate the pioneering spirit and lasting influence of the pre-war German artists and presents the work of John Trinick, tracing its evolution from medievalism to modernism.

Chapter III: Post 1945

The final chapter evaluates the reinterpretation of the medium from the post-war period, its place as a vital element in the sophisticated architecture of the 21st century and as an individual art form in its own right.