A Short History of Colonial Stained Glass [Updated]


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16th & 17th Century Stained Glass of America & Europe   [Updated]

The stained glass of the Middle Ages is familiar to most of us. The greatest cathedrals in Europe feature beautiful stained glass windows that have come to represent medieval art and religious imagery. 

Stained glass was so popular in the Middle Ages that guilds and workshops specialized in crafting the one-of-a-kind glass pieces. Illiterate churchgoers studied stained glass windows to better understand Bible stories. 

colonial stained glass
Stained glass existed in colonial America. Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By the 1600s, however, the popularity of stained glass waned in Europe. The Reformation placed less emphasis on ornately decorated places of worship, decreasing the demand for stained glass.

Glass made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe and America was both religious and secular. Historical and heraldic images became more popular. 

The presence of stained glass varied in different places. Colonial America had little stained glass, while places like Switzerland became the new centers of stained glass production.


Stained Glass of Colonial America & Latin America

stained glass American church
Early American churches commissioned stained glass from Europe. CaptJayRuffins, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

English settlers arriving in Jamestown in the early 1600s brought with them the first attempt at glass manufacturing in the Americas. Production of stained glass and other types of glass items was short-lived in Jamestown, however. 

Some stained glass manufacturing occurred in New Amsterdam in the late 1600s.

One important trailblazer of American stained glass was Evert Duyckinck, a Dutchman who immigrated to New Amsterdam in 1638. He created a heraldic panel (described in more detail below) for the First Dutch Reformed Protestant Church in Albany. 

stained glass latin america
Latin American stained glass. Warko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Although there were some stained glass artists living in the New World, the art form was unpopular. Puritans rejected the opulence of the Church of England, including its stained glass windows. 

Because of this, few American stained glass pieces from the early colonial period survive. Most stained glass was imported from Europe. 

Stained glass was imported to Latin America in the 17th and 18th centuries by Spanish and Portuguese colonists. Examples of colonial glass are still displayed in churches and other buildings across Central and South America. 


European Stained Glass of the 17th & 18th Centuries   

heraldic stained glass panel
Stained glass of the colonial era featured secular designs. Jules & Jenny from Lincoln, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stained glass lost popularity in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Protestant and even Catholic churches now featured simpler architecture and ornaments. 

However, stained glass continued to be crafted. Home studios and independent craftsmen replaced the guilds and workshops of the Middle Ages. 

secular stained glass
Stained glass of the 17th century had religious and secular imagery. Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stained glass styles evolved from mostly biblical scenes to a mix of spiritual and secular imagery. Pictures of distinguished persons, everyday life, and and heraldry dominated stained glass design during the 1600s. 

religious 17th century stained glass
Churches across Europe favored simple decoration over opulent stained glass. Wilfred Helmlinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The lead that held stained glass panels together became thinner and less distinguished within the picture. Rather than being main features in themselves, such as in medieval times, lead lines in the 17th century took on a grid pattern that mimicked regular windows. 

These grids can be seen in most stained glass of the period. 

bright stained glass
This stained glass shines bright with light colors and clear glass. 16th and 17th century glass at Ketteringham Hall by Evelyn Simak, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Other works, like the one above, utilized symmetrical and thin lead lines in other patterns. Clear glass and lightly painted glass allowed more light to pass through 17th century stained glass. 

panel stained glass
A historical stained glass panel from 17th century Germany. Gerda Arendt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The most popular stained glass pieces of the 17th and 18th centuries were heraldic panels. These pieces measured 2 feet or smaller in size and were portable. 

The center of heraldic panel manufacturing was Switzerland. The pieces were also popular in Germany and Holland. 

swiss stained glass
A Swiss stained glass panel with both religious and heraldic imagery. simontcope, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These decorative panels hung in the windows of homes and commercial buildings. Wealthy individuals often gifted donor pieces to guilds, councils, and other organizations. 

swiss panel
A heraldic panel with a heroic image. simontcope, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Three major types of Swiss stained glass panels existed in the 1600s. Welcome panels featured images of individuals. Illustrative panels showed literary or religious themes. Everyday life was also depicted on panels. The final main type of panel was, of course,  the heraldic panel. 

Swiss panel
Another example of a Swiss stained glass panel. These hung in windows and were common gifts. simontcope, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A specific type of Swiss heraldic panel was the popular Standesscheibe. These panels featured the coat of arms of the Old Swiss Confederacy canons, or states. 

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