A blog about the history of glass art. The history of glass art is an exciting topic that has many different aspects, and which has produced a great deal of interesting material. The History of Glass Art blog examines this material and discusses the facts, theories and opinions surrounding the subject.
The history of glass art is a very old one, stretching back to ancient times. The first man-made glass was created in Mesopotamia, and from there it spread to Egypt and Syria. The Egyptians used it for beads, ornaments and amulets, but it wasn’t until the Romans introduced glass blowing techniques that it became a widely-used artefact. By the 2nd century AD, glass was being used for everything from windows to bottles, and its popularity continued to grow during the medieval period as it was used by scientists in their research as well as craftsmen creating beautiful objects for noble patrons.
Not only has glass been used in making refined objects like sculptures and tableware, but it has also been used on an industrial scale in order to create windows and even bottles by the thousands.”
History of Glass Art is a comprehensive blog about the history of glass art. It is dedicated to the talented artists and craftspeople who create works of art from glass using traditional and modern techniques such as stained glass, fused glass, lampwork, enameling and millefiori.
Toby Herman’s website has information on the history of glass art, the history of stained glass windows, 19th century glass artisans, stained glass windows in churches, information on the famous Tiffany Studios, contemporary studio glass artists and more.
If you’re interested in the history of glass art, I’ve created a blog to share glass art history and everything else I find related to glass art: from the history of glassmaking, to glass artists in the U.S. and abroad, to other glass-related topics such as stained glass windows and glass jewelry.
The blog is available at: http://glassarthistory.blogspot.com/
I’d love it if you’d drop by and check it out, leave me a comment or two, and subscribe via RSS or email so you can stay in touch with the latest posts.
The history of glass art is a fascinating subject, and one that has been greatly overlooked. The first glass art we see was during the Roman Empire, when glass workers would make glass beads and other trinkets for sale to the general public. During the middle ages, however, there wasn’t much available in the way of glass art because the process of creating glass was so expensive that only those with royal blood could afford it. It wasn’t until the late Middle Ages that glass became a more common commodity and people started creating pieces that were to be sold to the general public.
HISTORY OF GLASS ART
Glass art is one of the most ancient forms of art, dating back to 3000 BCE in Ancient Mesopotamia. In the Middle Ages, stained glass art was used in Gothic cathedrals. In the 19th century, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles emerged. Glass art continued to be popular throughout the 20th century, with various new movements such as Studio Glass and Stained Glass Revival.
+History of Glass Art
Ancient Mesopotamia
Glass was created by accident in Mesopotamia during 4,000 BCE when sand exposed to fires melted into fused grains. These fused grains were then used for decorative purposes. The glass making business then moved to Egypt around 1,500 BCE where it became a large-scale industry. At this time it was only available in blue and green colors but by 500 BCE colors including yellow, red and black were also being used by Egyptian artisans. Ancient Romans introduced glass blowing using two methods: a pontil (the bottom part of a wine bottle) and a punty (a rod with a rounded tip). When glass blowing became popular it replaced earlier Roman techniques of shaping molten glass into objects such as vases, bowls and cups.
The Dark Ages
By the 6th century CE the Roman Empire had cr
The history of glass art is the story of a wide variety of vessels and containers, from the very first glass vessels to the finest works of today. The first use of glass was as beads and in jewelry. As the technique for working with glass developed, glassesmiths were able to create more elaborate pieces, such as vases, bowls and other containers.
Toward the end of the Roman Empire, glassblowing became an important craft in Europe. Glassblowers would blow a bubble of molten glass over a small pipe (called a punty). Once the bubble cooled and hardened, it could be taken off the punty and flattened into sheets.
Glassblowers quickly learned they could use this technique to make vessels which resembled the ones made by jewelers, but it took much longer to figure out how to make them more stable and clear.
By around 1600 AD, a technique was developed that allowed for thicker glass pieces to be blown into forms created by blowing air through rods connected to an iron ruler. This process is called cylinder blowing. While this method did not produce as clear results as “cased” blown objects did, it allowed for larger pieces to be made and was easier for beginners to learn.
Cylinder blowing remained the standard for many
The history of glass art is a fascinating one. Glass can be traced back to the late Neolithic period and the early Bronze Age of human civilization, when it was first discovered that by mixing silica with a variety of other elements and heating them in a furnace, an incredibly durable material could be created.
This discovery led to the creation of glass items as well as the development of glass as a major trade commodity throughout the ancient world. The use of molten glass was largely limited to decorative objects until approximately 3500 BC, when the process for making glass vessels was discovered. This allowed for glass to be manufactured on an unprecedented scale and opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for its use.
The earliest known examples of glass art were found in Egypt in the form of beads and amulets dating back to 1900 BC. The Egyptians were also responsible for creating the first colored glasses by adding minerals and metals such as copper, gold, silver, arsenic, and iron into their production processes.
By the Middle Ages, Europe had caught up with Asia and Africa in terms of medieval craftsmanship. By this time, stained glass windows were being produced in churches throughout Europe. This led to increased demand for stained glass from merchants who supplied these churches with mass-produced colored window pan
