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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • March 4, 1865
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  • ORNAMENTED AND STAINED GLASS.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, March 4, 1865: Page 3

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    Article ORNAMENTED AND STAINED GLASS. ← Page 3 of 4 →
Page 3

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Ornamented And Stained Glass.

to the place where similar Avork can be supplied . In course of time a coloured drawing on a small scale is made , embodying his ideas ; if approved , aud the order given , the glass-painter commences his Avork . Instead of a board the size of the window , used by the ancient glass-painters ( large

sheets of paper not then being invented ) a fullsized drawing is made on thick paper ; this is called a cartoon . A length of common glazed lining-muslin , the same as ladies' dresses are lined Avith , is laid all over it , and the outside shapes of the hands , head , feet , drapery-lines , & c ,

are marked on it iii black ink each of the shapes thus marked out represents a separate piece of glass , which , with the diamond , are cut out of sheets of coloured glass , coloured all through when the glass itself Avas made , not stained afterwards . There is ouly one stain , and that is yellow . There is 140 different tints of colour UOAV made to

select from , instead of six or eight , as m the thirteenth century . The pieces of glass are then fitted together on the lining-muslin , and the features and lines of the drapery are then painted on the glass with opaque enamel . There are IIOAV made large sheets of thick Avhite

glass , and on these the pieces of coloured glass forming the picture are fastened , by dropping from a pallet-knife a few drops of melted bees-wax and resin round each . The painting in progress can then be held up to the light , and alterations made if necessary . In this state the shadowing is done ;

it is not really shadowing , as understood in ordinary painting , for coloured glass is too beautiful a material to be obscured Avith shadow , but consists in toning down the too prominent parts and giving value to others . For instance , if the hair of the headexpressed by lines traced on the

, glass , has not sufficient force , a film of enamel colour , either grey or broAvn , is painted all OA er it ; and force is given to drapery folds , Avhich are expressed by strong black lines only , by indicating their form in a similar manner .

lhe so-called " shadow" is always found in old work : I belieA r e it to be necessary to new . But in good Avork it never materially interferes Avith the flatness of the painting , or the transluceucy of the glass . It may be done by stippling ; or , by smearing over the surface a coat of enamel , and

removing- what is not Avanted Avith a hard brush .-it is really immaterial whicli plan is used , each artist having his OAVU favourite method . Shadowing is a necessary evil , and its excessive use has been one of the faults of modern Avork . After the glass is shadoAA ed , it is taken CIOAATI , and placed

piece by piece upon beds of dry whiting on iron plates ; then pv \ t in an iron kiln . There is no mystery in these kilns ; they are simply iron boxes , around which play the flames of a fire beneath ; a slab of fire-clay being interposed to prevent the direct action of the fire upon the bottom of the kiln . The object is to obtain a regular and hi g h degree

of heat , and to prevent the entrance of hot carburetted hydrogen from the fire , Avhich would reduce the oxide of lead in the flux to a metallic state , and so cause its disintegration . These kilns are usually made much too short ; a good size is 4 ft . long , 14 in . Avide , and 14 iu . high , open . in front .

It AA'ill admit six or seven iron plates , resting on ledges at the sides . The brickwork should be the best that could be obtained ; the bricks set close together , and grouted Avith fire-clay . The pieces of glass , when properly fired and annealedare put backpiece by piecein their places

, , , on the muslin , stretched on a flat bench . The glazier joins the pieces together with leaden bands , haAnng grooves on each side , as the ancients did ; but the modern lead , instead of being cast in a mould , like the clumsy stuff formerly used , is forced through dies to the exact gauge required .

The work is then soldered , and , when cemented , and fixed in its place , is preserved from injury by iron Avire guards ; copper guards are more yielding , more costly , and liable to be stolen . There can be no objection to memorial windows , but the present custom of placing the works ol

different artists in the same church , Avithout regard to architectural fitness , is an evil . Fancy the feelings of an architect , who , after the completion of his carefully-studied work , finds it to be considered merely as a frame for independent paintings on glass . I think it Avould conduce to

better ornamentation of the interior , if , at theerection of a church , a scheme of the Avhole of the painted Avindows Avere drawn out , and no departure from that scheme alloAved . The whole should be , if possible , the Avork of one artistAvhose style Avas thought to be the most

, suitable . Many schemes for a series of windows in a church , may be thought of . Take , for instance , the PoAver , Wisdom , and Goodness of God , Avhich was Dr . Buckland ' s mission in his Bridgewater Treatise ; the Doctrine of Atonement ; the Te Deum ; Illustrations of the Three Dispensations

, the Patriarchal , the Mosaic , ancl the Christian ; the Ministry of Angels ; the Acts of Mercy ; the Beatitudes ; or , the Miracles ; all afford grand series of subjects Avhich would be of far gueater interest than an ill-considered mixture of subjects from various sources .

There is some probability that the tAvo systems of decoration , stained glass and mosaic work , will , in England , become general ; they have never , that I am aAvare of , been united to any great extent in the same building . It has been contended that the use of one does away Avith the necessity

of the other . Chen'eul takes this vieAV , giving , as instances , St . Peter's at Rome of coloured , walls ., ancl Cologne Cathedral of coloured windoAvs . The free use at the Wolsey ' s Chapel , Windsor , of mosaics ancl stained glass , Avill , Avhen the work is completed , set this point at rest . I fear that the gold-ground mosaics , Avhich already suffer from the glaring g ilding of the principals , will be further

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1865-03-04, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 5 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_04031865/page/3/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
GRAND LODGE. Article 1
ORNAMENTED AND STAINED GLASS. Article 1
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 4
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 8
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 8
GRAND LODGE. Article 8
METROPOLITAN. Article 11
PROVINCIAL. Article 14
MARK MASONRY. Article 15
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 16
CHANNEL ISLANDS. Article 16
INDIA. Article 16
Obituary. Article 17
RAILWAY PASSENGERS' ASSURANCE COMPANY. Article 17
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 18
THE WEEK. Article 18
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Ornamented And Stained Glass.

to the place where similar Avork can be supplied . In course of time a coloured drawing on a small scale is made , embodying his ideas ; if approved , aud the order given , the glass-painter commences his Avork . Instead of a board the size of the window , used by the ancient glass-painters ( large

sheets of paper not then being invented ) a fullsized drawing is made on thick paper ; this is called a cartoon . A length of common glazed lining-muslin , the same as ladies' dresses are lined Avith , is laid all over it , and the outside shapes of the hands , head , feet , drapery-lines , & c ,

are marked on it iii black ink each of the shapes thus marked out represents a separate piece of glass , which , with the diamond , are cut out of sheets of coloured glass , coloured all through when the glass itself Avas made , not stained afterwards . There is ouly one stain , and that is yellow . There is 140 different tints of colour UOAV made to

select from , instead of six or eight , as m the thirteenth century . The pieces of glass are then fitted together on the lining-muslin , and the features and lines of the drapery are then painted on the glass with opaque enamel . There are IIOAV made large sheets of thick Avhite

glass , and on these the pieces of coloured glass forming the picture are fastened , by dropping from a pallet-knife a few drops of melted bees-wax and resin round each . The painting in progress can then be held up to the light , and alterations made if necessary . In this state the shadowing is done ;

it is not really shadowing , as understood in ordinary painting , for coloured glass is too beautiful a material to be obscured Avith shadow , but consists in toning down the too prominent parts and giving value to others . For instance , if the hair of the headexpressed by lines traced on the

, glass , has not sufficient force , a film of enamel colour , either grey or broAvn , is painted all OA er it ; and force is given to drapery folds , Avhich are expressed by strong black lines only , by indicating their form in a similar manner .

lhe so-called " shadow" is always found in old work : I belieA r e it to be necessary to new . But in good Avork it never materially interferes Avith the flatness of the painting , or the transluceucy of the glass . It may be done by stippling ; or , by smearing over the surface a coat of enamel , and

removing- what is not Avanted Avith a hard brush .-it is really immaterial whicli plan is used , each artist having his OAVU favourite method . Shadowing is a necessary evil , and its excessive use has been one of the faults of modern Avork . After the glass is shadoAA ed , it is taken CIOAATI , and placed

piece by piece upon beds of dry whiting on iron plates ; then pv \ t in an iron kiln . There is no mystery in these kilns ; they are simply iron boxes , around which play the flames of a fire beneath ; a slab of fire-clay being interposed to prevent the direct action of the fire upon the bottom of the kiln . The object is to obtain a regular and hi g h degree

of heat , and to prevent the entrance of hot carburetted hydrogen from the fire , Avhich would reduce the oxide of lead in the flux to a metallic state , and so cause its disintegration . These kilns are usually made much too short ; a good size is 4 ft . long , 14 in . Avide , and 14 iu . high , open . in front .

It AA'ill admit six or seven iron plates , resting on ledges at the sides . The brickwork should be the best that could be obtained ; the bricks set close together , and grouted Avith fire-clay . The pieces of glass , when properly fired and annealedare put backpiece by piecein their places

, , , on the muslin , stretched on a flat bench . The glazier joins the pieces together with leaden bands , haAnng grooves on each side , as the ancients did ; but the modern lead , instead of being cast in a mould , like the clumsy stuff formerly used , is forced through dies to the exact gauge required .

The work is then soldered , and , when cemented , and fixed in its place , is preserved from injury by iron Avire guards ; copper guards are more yielding , more costly , and liable to be stolen . There can be no objection to memorial windows , but the present custom of placing the works ol

different artists in the same church , Avithout regard to architectural fitness , is an evil . Fancy the feelings of an architect , who , after the completion of his carefully-studied work , finds it to be considered merely as a frame for independent paintings on glass . I think it Avould conduce to

better ornamentation of the interior , if , at theerection of a church , a scheme of the Avhole of the painted Avindows Avere drawn out , and no departure from that scheme alloAved . The whole should be , if possible , the Avork of one artistAvhose style Avas thought to be the most

, suitable . Many schemes for a series of windows in a church , may be thought of . Take , for instance , the PoAver , Wisdom , and Goodness of God , Avhich was Dr . Buckland ' s mission in his Bridgewater Treatise ; the Doctrine of Atonement ; the Te Deum ; Illustrations of the Three Dispensations

, the Patriarchal , the Mosaic , ancl the Christian ; the Ministry of Angels ; the Acts of Mercy ; the Beatitudes ; or , the Miracles ; all afford grand series of subjects Avhich would be of far gueater interest than an ill-considered mixture of subjects from various sources .

There is some probability that the tAvo systems of decoration , stained glass and mosaic work , will , in England , become general ; they have never , that I am aAvare of , been united to any great extent in the same building . It has been contended that the use of one does away Avith the necessity

of the other . Chen'eul takes this vieAV , giving , as instances , St . Peter's at Rome of coloured , walls ., ancl Cologne Cathedral of coloured windoAvs . The free use at the Wolsey ' s Chapel , Windsor , of mosaics ancl stained glass , Avill , Avhen the work is completed , set this point at rest . I fear that the gold-ground mosaics , Avhich already suffer from the glaring g ilding of the principals , will be further

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