Innovations in the Craft of Stained Glass in the 19th Century(RECORDING)

This is a recording of a talk called Innovations in the Art & Craft of Stained Glass in the 19th Century recorded on 3rd December 2024.

This talk was part of the Online Autumn Lecture Series 2024 called Crossing boundaries: Victorian art, design and architecture. Follow this link to watch all of the lectures.

We’re used to the idea of Victorian architecture, art and design as separate disciplines, with their own historians. But that seriously misrepresents the way that many nineteenth-century architects and designers thought and practised. They conceived of the fine and decorative arts as part of an architectural whole – a total work of art. Our seven expert speakers will boldly break down disciplinary boundaries in a discussion of the use of colour and texture across the whole range of Victorian design and analyses of the important roles played by mosaic, stained glass, embroidery and three-dimensional wall coverings. Among the highlights are lectures on two great designers who sought in very different ways to fuse architecture with decoration and the fine arts – Owen Jones and Alfred Stevens, both the subjects of major new books by our speakers.

‘The Ideals and Experiments of Enthusiasts’: Innovations in the Art and Craft of Stained Glass in the Later Nineteenth Century

The quest for materials that would evoke the chromatic and textural qualities of early medieval stained glass inspired the work of manufacturers, artists and architects during the Victorian era and into the early twentieth century. This illustrated lecture, with a cast of characters that includes Charles Winston, William Morris, Jesse Rust, Edward S. Prior, William J. Blenko and Harry Powell, examines how the art form evolved alongside new technical developments, culminating in the rich diversity of windows produced by members of the Arts & Crafts Movement at the turn of the century.

Peter Cormack MBE FSA HonFMGP was formerly Keeper of the William Morris Gallery, London. He has been a Research Fellow at the V&A Museum, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Honorary Curatorial Adviser for Kelmscott Manor and Vice-President of the British Society of Master Glass-Painters. His Arts & Crafts Stained Glass (Yale University Press, 2015) was the first study of the subject; his monograph on the American stained glass artist Charles J. Connick was published by Yale UP in May 2024.

After booking a ticket, you will be given access to the recording of the event. Please ignore the event date in the listings.

This event helps raise funds for The Victorian Society - the only charity dedicated to fighting for our Victorian and Edwardian heritage. Join us today and safeguard our unique cultural heritage for future generations! For further information, click here.

The Victorian Society is an IHBC recognised CPD provider​.

Image: C W Whall Ch Warden Angels Tracery