Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. PUBLISHED BY E. MATTHEWS & SONS, v 377, OXFORD STREET, W. ' 1877.CONTENTS. CHAP. ■■ ' PAGE I. A Glance at the History of Glass Making and Painting ... ... ... ... ...' ... ... 5 II. Stained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment 23 III. The Influence of Art in Life ... ... ... ... 39 IV. The Use and Abuse of Art ... ... ... 55 V. The Theory of Glass Painting ... ... ... 7a VI. The Practice of Glass Painting ... ... ... 8o- VII. Materials and Geass ... ... ... ... ... 99 VIII. Adaptation and Designing ... ... ... ... 109 469227u Art is an old language with a great many artificial, affected styles, and sometimes the chief pleasure one gets out. of knowing them is the mere sense of knowing. I enjoy art of all kinds, * * * but I suppose if I couldfpick my enjoyment to pieces I should find it made up of many different threads. There is something in daub- ing a little oneself, and having an idea of the process.” ~ George Elliot—“ Middleman ch” “ The first step towards elevating glass painting \to the rank it once held among arts, is to estimate its productions by those sound rules of criticism which are alike applicable to all works of art, and not by the sole standard of antiquarian conformity. But inasmuch as a knowledge of the conventionalities of style is more commonly possessed than a knowledge of the principles of art, because the. former is comparatively easier than the latter, amateurs, who exert a powerful influence on the state and condition of glass painting, are apt in their criticisms to fall into the error of regarding a conformity with style, not as the accessory to the glass painting, but as consti- tuting the sole end and essential object of the work.” 7 - C., Winston’s “Memoirs”CHAPTER I. Qt (Bfcmce at t$t%\ of . QUaRtn^ anh(patnftnc^ “ Stretch a hand thro’ time.” In Memoriam. N tracing back the history of anything, whether it be a nhtion, an art or a manufacture, we shall be able more or less to follow the footsteps it has left in the sands of time for a certain distance, but sooner or later we shall begin to enter the thick mists of doubt and uncertainty that overhang the past, until ar last they grow so dense as to completely obscure our vision. All histories become in time indistinct and blurred, and however we may grope our way, and endeavour to read its pages, there will be muc that we shall have to conjecture at, much that we can only approximately arrive at, much more that will for ever remain unknown. BGlass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. -Nations that once held the sway of the world, people whose opulence and magnificence excited the envy of all others, become so completely buried in the ruins of the past, become so effaced from the page of life, as to afford us little if any clue in our knowledge of them, their ways, and their lives. Even a century or two is sufficient to raise up doubt and create a vague indistinctness, and this being the case, how much more so is it when ages instead of centuries elapse. The invention of glass making belongs to the remote ages of antiquity, and probably came in simultaneously with or soon after the discovery of pottery making. The old legend about the sailors landing with a cargo of nitrum Upon the shore of Palestine, by the river Belus, near the foot of Mount Carmel, and who, it is said, found that the heat of their fire had fused the nitrum with the sand, pro- ducing^ transparent substance, may contain some truth, as the discovery of glass making was most probably the re- sult of chance. But to attempt to settle the invention in any one nation is impossible, and all we can do is to ob- serve what classical authors say upon the subject, and form our own conclusions from that and other matters.A Glance at the History.. 7 Pliny tells us that Sidon, the most ancient city of Phoe- nice, was distinguished for its glass works; and the manu- facture of glass was not introduced into. Rome until the reign of Tiberius, about B.c. 30. The ancient Egyptians were certainly acquainted with the art of glass making, and De Pauw is of opinion that they carried the art to the highest perfection; and that the glass works of Diospolis was the first regular manufactory of this material. From the remains of beads,-bottles, and ornaments in our museums, we have clear proof that they achieved excellence in its manufacture, both in white and coloured, and Sir Gardner Wilkinson adduces three distinct proofs that the art was known to them before the exodus of the children of Israel, more than 3,500 years ago. Mr. Layard, in his excavations in Nineveh, came across a brick chamber which he conjectured to be a kiln or fur- nace for baking glass, and. that, coupled with the fragments of bottles, etc., he discovered, speaks beyond doubt, that the knowledge of the art was universal in the cities of the East. -We have already said,that the ancients understood the manufacture of coloured glass, but from what can be gleaned8 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. from the relics we possess, together with the investigations of antiquarians, there is not sufficient evidence to show that they understood the art of painting on glass, though some writers quote passages from Senica and Vespicius Fermuis to prove that they did. Even if they possessed the knowledge of glass paintings which I am inclined to think they did not, it is quite clear that painted glass windows were unknown. Some writers doubt whether the Egyptians and early nations ever knew of the use of glass for the purpose of glazing. Window glass was known to the Romans, as several passages occur in their writings to prove it, as well as remains found in Pompeii. Glass was used by them for many purposes, and there are many remains of casts of sculptured gems, besides vases with figures in relief, one of which, the “ Portland Vase,” has come down to us whole. Glass was used also for the decoration of their rooms, and bricks have been discovered evidently employed for paving. Another form of glass brought to great perfection by the Romans was the mosaic; paintings formed of small pieces of variously coloured glass fitted , together to form a design.9 A Glance■ at the History. When- glass painting was first discovered is settled by various writers at different dates: that the art is an ancient one is borne out by the Treatise of Theophilus on the subject. It was. probably suggested by painting on earthenware with enamel, and in the use of coloured glass in mosaics. Winston thinks it was an invention subsequent to the coming of our Lord. The earliest known painted window, according to Lastyrie, is in the Abbey of Tergeusee, in Bavaria, and dates from the year 999; while Winston gives the date of the earliest authentic painted window as late as the middle of the twelfth century, in the Cathedral of St. Deny’s, in France.* All writers are agreed that the art had a Byzantine origin, and that both the practice of glazing with coloured glass, as well as painting upon it, were introduced into Western Europe from Byzantium by Venice and Marseilles. Quoting another writer he says “ the practice of glazing with coloured glass arranged in patterns was imitated from * I would refer my readers who desire a fuller history of Stained Glass Painting,'to Charles Winston’s valuable work on the subject. In this chapter much information is obtained from his work.io Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. the Byzantine Greeks by the Saracenic races, and has been continued in the cities of the East down to the present time.” Pattern or ornamental windows were first formed by the sash bars being cut into various patterns and the coloured glass inserted behind; on the same principle as a fret cut pattern laid upon silk, and the latter showing through, forms a design. No enamel colour was then used. Stained glass painting is essentially an ecclesiastical art, as its productions are always used for sacred buildings. It was an art which came in with the Christian religion, and arrived at its greatest perfection before the decline of the Roman church. Hitherto such an art was not required by pagan nations, but as Christianity grew, and the ritual of the church be- came grand and solemn, there was a need for something which added awe and impressiveness to the church itself. We have nothing to lead us to suppose it was ever used in early times for any other purpose than the decoration of churches, abbeys and cathedrals ;and I think it is not at all improbable that the art was followed, and in a great man- ner perfected by, the monks, whose retired studious habits,A Glance at the .I i and devotional spirit would be so congenial to the advance- ment of such an art. That the clergy were its chief patrons. is indisputable ‘ Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, his predecessor Edington, and others, having left money for the glazing of the win- dows in their abbeys and cathedrals. Art, in many ways, owes much to Catholic iufluence, and when Puritanism became the religion, art to a great extent died out, at least in England. The Catholic religion was an aesthetic one, and they rightly did not neglect any of those accessories which serve to awaken a feeling of reverence, love and emotion; and it was under the powerful dominion of the Popes, that painting achieved its greatest excellence. ' The history of stained glass painting presents another illustration of a once universal art, brought to a great pitch of excellence, being allowed to fall to decay and lie almost unused for more-than-two hundred years; the sixteenth century witnessing its last and best efforts. For the sake of perspicuity, glass is divided into four styles or epochs, and under each head we will examine its rise, progress, and ultimate fall.12 Glass Painting' and Staining for Amateurs. -Early English. All glass windows painted prior to 1280, are included in this classification. The striking features of this style are, the great vividness and intensity of the colours, the strength and boldness of the outline and the tallness of the figures, their vigorous and spirited attitudes, classical air of their heads, and the conventional character of the foliage ornaments, as displayed in the borders of: white patterns. The reason of this, according to Winston, is the great influence which classical antiquity exerted over the arts of the-West, principally through Byzantium. Theophilus says that France was the home of glass painting; and as some of the earliest specimens are to be found there, and we know that a Venetian colony settled at Limoges about 979, who brought with them a Byzantine style of art, which in itself was a development of the Greek, the probable influence is very apparent. Pure Byzantine ended about 1170, and modern art may be said then to have begun. The glass paintings between. 1170 and 1240 on the whole closely resemble the antique ; the draperies insteadA Glance at -the History. 1-3- of being tight and scanty are more elegant and flowing. Even the very dresses'and garments were founded upon a- Roman model; as can be seen by a comparison with mediaeval art. ■ So conclusive is Winston of this influence, that he says there is little difference between an ordinary thirteenth century figure and one taken from the arch of Titus or Trajan’s column, and he is greatly borne out by Kruzer who has shown that most Christian art had a pagan origin. This, and the subsequent style, were formed always on the principle of a mosaic, i.e., with various pieces of coloured glass fitted together in a, leaden framework, and thus forming the design. In the early stages of glass painting enamel brown was the only colour used, yellow stain not being discovered till the next century. The flesh, diapers and patterns were traced in the colour, the deep shadows were represented with the brown, the lights being left untouched.. The general appearance of such a window is a mass of variegated and brilliant colouring of the deepest hue and most solemn tone.' Each picture, the design, of which was always simple, was placed in a panel having a stiff coloured14 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. ground and well defined border. Very, little white glass was used, and this, owing to its rich green tint, and porce- lain-like nature, has a solidity of effect very different from the subsequent white glass. Landscapes with a gradually tinted sky never occur. The glass painted in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries was of the simplest character, to harmonize with the intense colours and mosaic-like nature. This arose from the want of knowledge rather than , or why did they attempt light and shade, or use any of those acces- sories tending to make it pictorial. There is so much conclusive evidence, to show that the simplicity of the glass was owing to the infancy of the art, and Want of the knowledge and power to use the materials at hand to the best advantage, as to completely overthrow the idea that it was the purposed wish of the artist to work in such a manner. “ The early English, as it appears to mre, is a develop- ment of the ancient Greek .style,-possessing, with much of its grace, a great deal of different feeling altogether, which we see in its perfect development in the works of Raphael.”A Glance at the History. 15 The finest specimens to be seen of this style of window are part of a Jesse window, in Canterbury Cathedral; one in York Minster; and Salisbury Cathedral, in the glazing of the second and fourth transept. Decorated. The decorated "(the epoch of our secohd painted or decorated Gothic style) period of glass painting lasted to nearly end of the fourteenth century, between the years 1280 and 1380. It is distinguished from the foregoing principally by the architectural details of the canopy work (the most usual accompaniment to these windows) the flowing tendril scrollages and naturally-formed leaves in the ornamental patterns ; the vine, oak, and other botanical forms being freely introduced. The mosaic ground was superseded by the diapered backgrounds and grisailes or effects in grey. Small subjects were no longer in general use, but single figures under heavy canopies became common.. Heraldic bearings and ornamental patterns were largely introduced, and the trefoil, so common in the early English windows, is now hardly ever seen. The later examples usually exhibit16 Glass Painting and Staining for A mateurs. the yellow stain, and are less vigorous in drawing, and not as intense in colour, and consequently weaker in outline. Mediaeval art reached its perfection in the middle of the thirteenth century, declined in subsequent years, and arose again to perfection in the sixteenth century. Some of the finest early specimens are in the choir of Merton Chapel, Oxford, the chancel of Norbury church, Derbyshire, and the Chapter House at York; as later ex- amples, the glass in the choir of Bristol Cathedral, in the nave of York, and in the east window of- Gloucester cathedral are worthy of mention. Perpendicular. , - ; In the fifteenth century, (the third period of gothic architecture), this style prevailed from 1380 to about 1530. Its great characteristics are large breadths of unbroken colour, tints of diminished intensity and a greater proportion of white glass. The foliage ornaments, "the devices in the quarries, of which the ornamental pattern in this style were formed, are highly conventional and unnatural in design; and the style of execution very delicate and finished.A Glance at the History. 17 The beginning of this period witnessed a great change in the manufacture of glass, the white becoming purer and the coloured lighter in tint, which greatly favoured atmospheric effect and high finish. It is worth noticing that as the art became -better known and its resources more fully developed, the style of the windows changed, and the artists became more ambitious in the effects they produced. Towards the close of the fourteenth century a new mode of executing the shadows and diapered backgrounds with the enamel brown was discovered. The glass was stippled all over with the colour (though this was no novelty, as it is occasionally seen as early as the reign of Edward II.) the lights being afterwards taken out. This is called “stippled” shading, in distinction to the “smear” shading of the two preceding styles, and often determines whether the glass belongs to the perpendicular or decorated period. , Towards the middle of the fifteenth century a method was discovered of introducing portions of white glass in the midst of a coloured mass, by the destruction of the stained surface, closely allied to what is now known as18 Glass Painting and Staining for 'Amateurs. “ adding out/’ but being expensive was not in general use. In the beginning of the next century a brown of a redder hue was employed. The tone of colour in the windows of this period is poor and cold, owing to the large amount of white glass intro- duced ; and the general effect feeble. 4 A greater approach to pictorial art was made, and subjects were used occupying a larger space. Some of the early windows in this style are elaborate and impressive, as can be seen in the magnificent east window in the choir of York Minster, containing fewer than one hundred and sixteen subjects; but with this and a few exceptions glass painting declined and reached a very low standard at the end of the fifteenth century, and only burst out again for a short time in the next century, when it remained for many years almost dead. The Gothic influence was everywhere dead and dying, and the old mediaeval spirit departed also from paintings on glass. As specimens of this style, those in the Ante-chapel of New College, Oxford, Malvern Church, Worcestershire, and Fairford Church, Gloucestershire, are notable.'A Glance at the History. 19 Cinque Cento. The style of glass subsequent to the Perpendicular, before the introduction of enamels, has been called Cinque Cento. It prevailed from the beginning to middle of the sixteenth century. The characters of 'the ornaments dis- tinguish' it from the preceding style, in which the Gothic details are followed. There is a much greater approach to finish, and its merit rests on its artistic as well as its rich hues. ' In the two centuries which elapsed before the pictorial style was perfected in the Cinque Cento, many changes in. the manner of working the glass itself took place. Architectural accessories, complicated foreground groups and landscape backgrounds are wrought with a deal of correctness of finish; and the glass paintings produced during this period are thought by many to be the finest ever executed. Like a fire at night, it seemed to collect all its dying embers together, and in one grand and final burst it sank into thick darkness and obscurity. The finest specimens of this style are of the Flemish school. There are some splendid examples, brought from20 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. Liege in the early part of the present century, in Lichfield Cathedral; but perhaps no windows so fully impress the spectator as those of the Chapel of the Miraculous Sacra- ment, at Brussels Cathedral. The subsequent history of glass painting is one of steady downfall and deterioration. The artists endeavoured to make glass do what it never was intended for; and their spirit was to rival oil paintings, instead of producing- ~ pictures on glass to the utmost scope of the art. By so , doing they would have brought it to the highest pitch of excellence; as it was, they succeeded in dragging it to the lowest depths of obscurity. Subjects in which were a multitude of figures, arranged in a pictorial composition, landscapes with aerial, and buildings with complex linear perspective, foreshortened figures, depth and intensity of chiaroscuro, all were attempted; and the result was a shallow and feeble trans- parency. , In the middle of the sixteenth century it was discovered that all other colours besides yellow, brown, and light red could be. given to white glass by the means of enamel colours. .ATEHA Glance at the History. 21 At first these were used only to heighten the effect of the coloured glass, or introduce colours where leading was impossible; but it led at last to the abandonment of the manufacture of coloured glass in France, none being made, according to Le Vieil, in 1768, and its deterioration in this country and elsewhere. In England pot metals continued to be made, but coated glass ceased towards the latter part of the seventeenth century. From this time glass painting fell more and more into disrepute, until at length it ceased almost to exist. Its votaries and supporters worked on entirely wrong principles, and the windows then produced are monuments to what lowness and debaseness an art can be brought. ■ The manufacture of coloured glass having lain so long dormant, has caused the belief that the art has been lost; but owing to the exertions of the late Charles Winston, whose name will ever be held in reverence by lovers of art, and in England, if not elsewhere, be for ever coupled with the revival of stained glass painting on a true and proper footing; an impetus has been given to it which is now being felt and appreciated. e22 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. I have written this handbook with the hope that an art of such antiquity, so rich in associations, and so diversified in its history, may find favour in the eyes of amateurs; for I feel sure that many would like to follow a branch of art which holds out so many attractions, and whose effects when produced are so pleasing, and withal useful, if they only had some one to.point out the right road; and it is with the sincere hope that my efforts, inefficient though they doubtless are, may be helpful and instructive, that I have with great pleasure given them what experience and technical knowledge I possess, together with the gleanings of other men’s minds, abilities and researches.CHAPTER II. (BfW# 00 a ©ecotraftott anb “That music and decorative art are twin sisters, engaged in the beneficial work of gladdening man while on his pilgrimage through life, and reviving the downcast spirit is apparent; for thus both soothe and lull to reverie, they bqth awe by solemn grandeur or provoke by solemn mirth, they both deepen sorrows and enhance joys.” C. Dresser. THINK there is no one who will not admit that stained glass is an important adjunct to a house, and that a wonderful effect is given to'any place or room whose windows consist of something more than mere sheets of plate glass. A little stained glass gives greater help towards an artistic appearance than any other single form of decoration, and why? r First, because it is more conspicuous than anything else,24 Glass Painting and Staining for .' and secondly, it affects the light of the room in a material way. Light being the medium through which all things are made visible, as well as the source of colour, it follows that if this is changed in any degree, whether for better or worse, it produces an important difference on all objects. Light exercises a great influence on art, independent of its relationship to colour, and how often are pictures quite spoilt through being hung in bad situations ? But on the decoration of the room, the wall papers, hangings, &c., it acts in a far more apparent degree. Light is not studied nearly sufficiently by decorators. They think that so long as their work is passable in itself it is all that is required, forgetting how different it will appear, as the medium through which we see it changes. . Thus effects looking well in the daytime are sometimes quite marred when seen by artificial light, and we are constantly hearing people complaining that their wall papers are so disagreeable and look so dull and gloomy . Why is this ? Simply because, in choosing them, they did not consider that perhaps half the time they would see them under the influence of gas; but they looked tolerable inStained, Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 25 the shop by day, and that is all they thought about. But what a mistake this is, as so many find out to their cost when too late. We ought to choose those colours which will stand an artificial light and yet look well by day, and if anything, rather sacrifice a little of the daylight effect (unless the room is only used during the day) to ensure the colours telling well at night, instead of making them a continual eyesore, as is so often the case. But the ordinary day or sunlight is even not always the best medium in itself for producing harmonious effects. Everyone must have observed that sunlight destroys colour, not only materially but physically; consequently, if a room is subject to the strong sun, or very intense light, it will materially alter the tone of our room. Here then stained glass performs its most important functions. The glass not being as transparent as the ordinary window. panes, owing to the rolled surface, and being tinted in various, colours, the light in passing through it loses some of its intensity, and its rays receiving a little of the colour which the glass possesses, causes the whole colouring; of a room to be altered, often for the better.26 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. It may be laid down as a universal law that strong light is destructive to harmony, more especially when repose and quiet is the"wished-for object. The strong light at a theatre is conducive to excitement rather than repose. And further, we cannot observe the colours and beauties of a landscape when the intense August sun is shining in all its power and magnificence. Observe a tree thrown out in'strong relief against a sunset sky. All colour seems lost and neutralized, and the bright greens changed into dull greys and browns. But when “the sun has set behind the hill,” and as Rogers so beautifully expresses it— “Twilight’s soft dews steal o’er the village green, With distant tints to harmonize the scene,” there is then a charm about all nature which we look in vain for in the daytime. This, to many cannot be accounted for, and association in many cases may be the cause of it; but the real reason is that all the tints and colours in nature have been modified and subdued, and as the light has lost its glare, it has harmonized the whole landscape by im- parting to it softer^ and subtler beauties, and a more delicate light and shade.Stained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 2 *j All this tends to show that the light of a room ought to be one of the first considerations of the decorative artist and designer, but usually it is the last thing he thinks about, if he thinks about it at all. But, say some who are given to pass their reasons and opinions as if they were infallible, the light of day surely cannot be improved; you cannot add beauties to the sun. You cannot* I answer: the sunlight in its proper time and place no one wishes to change, but if it is the best medium for seeing nature by, why do so many remain in their own rooms with the blinds down during the sun’s powerful reign ? Why do we constantly hear people say, “ Oh I cannot bear the glare of the sun, it nearly blinds me.” Because they are simply acknowledging in a very forcible way what they at other times, deny. And this brings me to another consideration. If we shun “ the blaze of noon ” out of doors, why should we tolerate it in our rooms ? But we do not tolerate it, for do we not close our curtains and pull down our blinds ? Here again is another proof of the objection we feel for the glorious sunlight. As all colours in nature are for the most part of the28 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateur's. tertiary scale, so our life is, or ought to be, one of repose and quiet. We take excitement as an exceptional thing, just to break the monotony of our everyday existence, and thus we require an atmosphere neither too hot nor too cold; a light free from glare and intensity, yet not too sombre and dull. To be always surrounded with an intense light would ndt only hurt the eyesight, but would affect the brain and nerves, and thus we take every means in our power to exclude it; but of all vehicles for so doing nothing is so efficient as stained glass, and for many reasons. It subdues the light without destroying it. It gives the eye something to rest upon when not otherwise employed. It adds to the effect of a room and helps to harmonize its colouring, and gives an air of repose to everything sur- rounding us. The force of the latter desideratum can better be felt by going into a church just as the sun is nearing its western home. A glorious refulgence and halo seems to linger and hover over the. quaint old pews, whose worm-eaten sides and worn seats show that many-have gone to their last resting place since they were first erected. An almostStained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 29 overpowering, yet delicious, sense of peace and rest comes over us as we glance at the numerous “ histories written on-stones” embedded in the walls, and for one moment in our lives at least, we feel that there is such a thing as repose and quiet. But the sun has gradually been nearing the horizon, and suddenly as it falls below the old yew, whose mighty limbs shadow many a grave, and “Whose fibres net the dreamless head Whose roots are wrapped about thy bones,” a flood of “golden water” falls upon the floor, and meeting in its course the coloured glass, perhaps centuries old, a beautiful rainbow picture glistens upon the well-worn stones. You feel impelled to watch it as it quivers before. your sight, and as the sun just touches the distant hills it sends the reflection further into the church, dancing over the old pews like so many golden fairies, and for a moment lighting up some of the darkest niches, until it loses itself in the gathering vague indistinctness which now pervades the solemn pile. Another minute, and the day has gone, and the church is again left with its dusty memories of the past. Your sunset dream is over, and you slowly and reluc-30 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. tantly leave the decaying and mouldering pile, and then comes forcibly to your mind that immortal line of Gray’s— “ Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,” and you walk home half forgetful of yourself, and more than half forgetful of the world, pondering over the various thoughts and emotions which have arisen within you. Does it occur then what share the stained glass which filled the church’s windows has had in your reveries ? How often have many who are given to be affected by such things—and how thankful they ought to be for that indulgence granted them by nature—acknowledged to themselves what a wonderful and almost indescribable effect have the coloured windows given to the building^ and to their own thoughts. At such a time as this its most elevated • and exalted power has been seen and felt, and many who perhaps have often viewed such a picture as I have endeavoured to paint, will bestow a share of their praise upon one of the neglected and slighted arts of this wofld, for stained glass does not get much acknowledgment. There are so many “ Peter Bells ” in life who are constantly seeingStained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 31 ' “ A primrose by a river’s brim, A yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more.''’ How often do we get delight and pleasure from various sources, and yet never inquire or think from whence they come; and still less,, take the trouble to acknowledge the effect they have had upon us. People go about the world with their intellects very much like a blunt knife. They are conscious of various phenomena and effects, are conscious that they have been delighted and pleased from certain causes,; admire now and then in a casual sort of way some work of art, &c., rather more striking than usual, but who never, under any consideration, bestow a moment’s thought upon the source of their emotion and pleasurable feelings; and who are only now and then awakened from their, dull stupor of indifferentism which passes under the name nonchalance. Cynicism seems to be the order of the. day, a term which has long since lost its original meaning, and now implies a sort of darkened pair of spectacles, causing the wearer- to see all things in a more or less perverted manner; a com- plete ignoring of all the subtle influences which will arise32 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. again and again, but each time are plucked out like a weed in our well-ordered garden; an untoward scepticism of everything tending towards the poetry of life. Does this arise from our own want of openness and strength to speak our feelings, or because it is considered Ton to veil them ? But from whatever cause this state of being arises, it ought to be beneath every thinking and feeling person,—the unacknowledgment of the effect and power certain things in this world have over them. Some people are blamed for what is called enthusiasm and sentimentalism, (?) but I prefer those who err (if it is erring) on this extreme to those who take everything they see as they would their dinner. People, who either from schooling and force of habit, or from a natural want of those sensibilities which might have been imparted to them if they had so desired, have neither music, poetry or art in their natures. To me their life re- sembles an arid and barren desert, when they destroy all those oases which make the world tolerable. Art has a direct as well as an indirect influence on life, and yet there are many ranked, and with truth, among the clever men,of the world, who try to prove to us that allStained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 33 these things are so many frivolities; of about as much use as a lady’s piece of embroidery, serving well enough to fill up an occasional half-hour, but having no direct relation- ship to life. Art is a necessity and ought to be treated as such. We are all to a greater or less degree subject to emotional influences, and the arts being the language of emotion can alone supply the want that it creates. Its indirect influence is seen in the effect it has upon the lives of those who are surrounded with objects of beauty. As at school the scholars breathe an atmosphere of what may be called study, caused partly by the surroundings of maps, globes, books, &c., all incentive to learning, so we hear of Italy being the land of painting, Germany the land of music, not because the countries themselves look par- ticularly artistic, but being the great homes of these respective arts, one feels an impetus given to the mind when surrounded with those sympathies which are dearest to us instead of mixing with those who care nothing about the refinements of life. Is it not a very evident corollary, that if children are brought up in a house having some pretence to beauty,34 GJass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. and surrounded with objects of art, music, and literature, it will not colour their lives and instinctively teach them some of the great lessons to be learnt from such associa- tions. Is there not a greater chance that the manhood of that child will be more elevated and higher in thought than one debarred from all those subtle influences of life. We cannot be continually looking at certain things with- out being affected by them, and childhood is the time of all others when nature is most ready for the seed to be sown, and more likelihood of its taking firm root. In after life, or even in later youth, there are periods of transition when the whole mind and soul is at conflict with itself, and other influences are at work. In manhood the cares of life press heavily upon many, and if they have not already prepared the ground there is little time or inclina- tion to do so then. Take music for instance: there are few, comparatively speaking, who learn to play if they have not mastered the notes when young, for what is easy to acquire then becomes tedious and difficult afterwards; for our ambition is extended, and we feel that we would rather carry out our ideas, than take the trouble to learn how to do it.Stained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 35 Youth is the golden opportunity for instilling all kinds of teaching into the mind and heart; the time when the ground lies fallow, waiting only for the seed to be sown. In after years it loses much of its readiness for fertilization, and before we can even sow, we have to root up many weeds, or undergo a long process of preparation. But another of the great uses of stained glass, especially in towns, is—that it acts as a kind of veil, to shut out the gaze of the outer world. The look from many London houses is by no means edifying. The landscape (?) dis- played before our eyes consists either of a weary waste of chimneys of various shapes, sizes and. makes, from the simple red pots to the tall zinc ones, which, when seen in the dusk of evening, or when enveloped in a London mist, look like so many grim sentinels keeping guard over the various houses; with the roofs filling up all interstices: or a confused, tortuous, labyrinthine mass of streets, alleys, and mews, of no very inviting or refreshing appearance. The view is neither particularly charming, when seen closely nor from a distance; and if we sit in the front of our house with the blinds up, we are either disturbed by the inquisitiveness of the passers by, or our opposite neigh-36 „ Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. bours seem to keep a perpetual watch over all our actions, as if they were on guard and we the prisoners on “parole.” To obviate this we have the gauze wire blinds, screens made of twisted cane formed into various ornamental forms, &c.; all of which perform their functions in a half-and-half ; sort of way, certainly not in an artistic manner. Even if we have these blinds the upper part of our windows are left exposed, as we cannot place anything opaque there because we require the light; and in this instance, “ Cathedral ” glass is the only agent we can employ. - Of course all may not require the upper part of their windows filled with painted glass, but nearly every house in London has the lower part fitted with some kind of screen. I want to see stained glass blinds become more common. In a few doctors’ houses, and one or two private ones we see them; but if we searched the better part of London through, I do not think we should find a quarter per cent, of the houses possessing any stained glass. The reason for this perhaps is the expense. Well it is at first a little outlay, but unlike house painting and deco-Stained Glass as a Decoration and Embellishment. 37 rating it never requires renewing, providing the glass does not get broken. But it is here that amateurs might provide their houses with a very nice form of art, and for a little money greatly enhance the appearance of their houses. There is nothing easier in the world than painting quarries or small squares of glass with some simple pattern, as they can be fitted into the lead when fired, by a professional glazier. ■ ' With a little practice amateurs might succeed in pro- ducing very decent windows, which I think would be a much more sensible plan than wasting time and money on those most mediocre water colour drawings which we so often see. _ Hitherto the difficulty of procuring materials, glass to paint upon, firing and glazing, &c., have so effectually hindered the tyro from following this art that it was next to an impossibility to take the matter up. That difficulty being overcome, I hope to see glass painting widely and successfully followed by amateurs, and I am sure they will not regret the day when they took up an art' so fascinating as this;, one- in which success is so38 Glass Painting and Staining for Amateurs. much more certain than in daubing badly drawn figures or “archaic” landscapes, as well as being something to occupy the spare time, which 'many in London find hang so heavily, and that henceforth they will not have to say “/ only kill time.”CHAPTER III.