Definition
Refers to works made of colored glass, generally in the form of a window, autonomous panel, or lampshade, in which the design is meant to be observed through refracted light and its effect is greatly dependent on the quality of the light. The stages of manufacture were described in a manual written in the early twelfth century by the monk Theophilus and the process has hardly changed since then. The window or other item is made by cutting pieces of colored glass based on a full-scale cartoon and holding the pieces together by strips of lead. Details may be painted on the surface of the pieces of glass and fired in a kiln before piecing the glass together. The method of weatherproofing and fixing the glass in a window is often highly decorative and forms an important element of the design. The highest achievements in stained glass are thought to be those of the Gothic era in Europe and those of the Gothic Revival of the nineteenth century.