Medieval Stained Glass

Timeline

1. 1100–1160Western European monasteries and cathedrals · FranceEarly stained windows set small pieces of colored glass in round-arched openings, with patterns favoring geometric and iconic symbols, accumulating lead-joining and color-formula experience for later large-scale narrative windows.
2. c. 1170–1180Chartres Cathedral · FranceAround 1175, Chartres Cathedral, rebuilt after fire, retained and added numerous 12th-century windows; triplets and rose windows formed a coherent narrative program of the Bible and the Virgin's life, marking the deep integration of medieval window craft and doctrinal dissemination.
3. c. 1200–1300Cathedrals of France and England · Western EuropeLarger rose windows and facade window bands introduced more complex narrative divisions and stable pigments such as cobalt blue and ruby red; collaboration between window workshops and architects became a standard part of cathedral construction.