Wanda Morrison, age 13, of Nashville, Tenn., for her question:
WHEN WAS THE FIRST STAINED GLASS WINDOW MADE?
Stained glass windows are made up of many little pieces of colored glass. When assembled, they make decorative designs or pictures. Stained glass windows are used in homes as well as in public and religious buildings.
Earliest known fragments of glass windows decorated with figures date from the 1000s. These were found in Europe where the first stained glass window was probably made in about 1000.
The Prophets, five larger than life sized figures in the windows of the Cathedral of Augsburg, Germany, are the oldest stained glass windows in the world still to be seen in their original setting. Historians tell us these windows were made between 1100 and 1130.
Just a bit later, the windows at St. Denis in Paris were created. And then in about 1150, artistic craftsmen installed the large stained glass windows in the west front of the Cathedral of Chartres France.
By the late 1200s, many of the great cathedrals in France, Germany and England had stained glass windows. Only a few were put into churches in Italy at this time.
Early stained glass windows were thought of as picture books since they were used to tell the story of mankind and of man's salvation. One of the greatest existing series of windows dates from 1200 to 1240 in the Cathedral of Chartres.
The famous Chartres windows show scenes from the Old and New Testaments as well as portraits of the Virgin and Christ and a number of Apostles and Saints. Deep colors are used in the windows. The reds and blues are particularly rich and they seem to glow and sparkle in the rays of the sun.
Demand for stained glass windows in religious buildings continued through the 1500s. But as the years advanced, styles changed. Early stained glass windows used only a few colors and expressive designs but later windows imitated oil painting by using flesh tones and perspective.
Stained glass windows fell into complete disregard after the 1500s and interest wasn't revived until the 1800s. Then the making of stained glass windows became a large business.
Historians regard the work done during most of the 1800s as artistically unsuccessful since artists were not creative. They either adopted ,the methods of oil painters or copied old Gothic designs.
By the late 1800s, changes for the better began to be seen in stained glass work. Since the turn of the century, many outstanding stained glass windows have been produced.
Today, glass used in windows is colored throughout its thickness by chemicals or dyes when the glass is manufactured. The thinness or thickness of each piece of glass determines how bright the color will be, and how much or how little light will come through the window.
Sometimes artists paint details on the pieces of glass with colored opaque enamels. The glass pieces are then placed in a furnace and baked at a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit so that the enamel becomes part of the surface of the glass.