Gothic Stained Glass

Timeline

1. c. 1141–1150Saint-Denis · Seine-Saint-DenisThe abbey church of Saint-Denis installed large areas of stained glass during its reconstruction, serving theological narrative with light and color and setting a paradigm for early Gothic stained glass; workshops used lead came technique and pigments such as cobalt blue.
2. c. 1194–1250Chartres · Eure-et-LoirChartres Cathedral preserves a large body of 12th–13th-century stained glass, and projects such as Notre-Dame de Paris likewise composed complete narratives of light and color with rose windows and tall lancets, reaching a high point in both technique and subject matter.
3. c. 1250–1500Western Europe · Western EuropeGlass workshops of France and the Rhineland exported techniques and craftsmen across Europe; stained glass became standard decoration and a tool of instruction in cathedrals, town halls, and college chapels.