What do you think?
Rate this book
A Little Book of Stained Glass
This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 1854105647
This series of beautifully produced small books is intended to be an introduction to the often hidden worlds that lie within the great churches and cathedrals of the British Isles, Ireland, and Europe. Mike Harding presents a selection of the most fascinating manifestations of green men, gargoyles, misericords, and stained glass, explaining the background and meaning behind each subject in text and illustrations.
This series of beautifully produced small books is intended to be an introduction to the often hidden worlds that lie within the great churches and cathedrals of the British Isles, Ireland, and Europe. Mike Harding presents a selection of the most fascinating manifestations of green men, gargoyles, misericords, and stained glass, explaining the background and meaning behind each subject in text and illustrations.
- GenresArt
64 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1998
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 8, 2015
I have always loved stained glass and the way that sunlight streams through it creating little patterns on the ground like little kaleidoscopes.
The introduction explains the technique of glassmaking and how stained glass and the addition of colours came into existence. The basilicas in Constantinople were renowned for having glass in colours without number since the 4th century. Mike Harding, the author, describes the fixing of the painted or stained coloured pieces into the window. Harding asserts that the greatest period of glass making was without doubt the Middle Ages and cites the windows of Chartres Cathedral and Saint Chapelle in Paris and Canterbury and York Cathedrals in England. I have personally seen Canterbury and St Chapelle’s windows and they are both jewels. The colours and patterns are exquisite.
Renowned artists like Burne-Jones and Harry Clarke designed beautiful windows and Chartres has a beautiful rose window which is the Christianised version of the mandala.
The glass making designers chose many subjects from the religious to the secular as inspiration. These range from Biblical stories such as the Nativity and the Jesse Tree to the more unique such as the Captain Oates window and the Mad Hatter and Dormouse windows in homage to Lewis Carroll
in Danesbury.
The beautiful, rich, deep colours of the accompanying photos also taken by the author almost jump off the page at you and you feel a bond towards the worshippers in these places when they were first installed as they marvelled at such beauty.
The introduction explains the technique of glassmaking and how stained glass and the addition of colours came into existence. The basilicas in Constantinople were renowned for having glass in colours without number since the 4th century. Mike Harding, the author, describes the fixing of the painted or stained coloured pieces into the window. Harding asserts that the greatest period of glass making was without doubt the Middle Ages and cites the windows of Chartres Cathedral and Saint Chapelle in Paris and Canterbury and York Cathedrals in England. I have personally seen Canterbury and St Chapelle’s windows and they are both jewels. The colours and patterns are exquisite.
Renowned artists like Burne-Jones and Harry Clarke designed beautiful windows and Chartres has a beautiful rose window which is the Christianised version of the mandala.
The glass making designers chose many subjects from the religious to the secular as inspiration. These range from Biblical stories such as the Nativity and the Jesse Tree to the more unique such as the Captain Oates window and the Mad Hatter and Dormouse windows in homage to Lewis Carroll
in Danesbury.
The beautiful, rich, deep colours of the accompanying photos also taken by the author almost jump off the page at you and you feel a bond towards the worshippers in these places when they were first installed as they marvelled at such beauty.
Displaying 1 of 1 review