Ontwerp voor een glas-in-loodvenster met een vogel 1876 - 1924

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof made this design for a stained-glass window with graphite on paper. It shows the layout for individual pieces of colored glass, held together by lead strips in a grid pattern. The process of creating stained glass has a long and rich history. Each piece of glass had to be carefully cut to shape, then painted with intricate details, and fired in a kiln to make the paint permanent. This was skilled work, often done by teams of artisans working together in workshops, a model of production reminiscent of that of the Arts and Crafts movement. Stained glass occupied an interesting position, somewhere in between art and design. It adorned churches and cathedrals, as well as the homes of wealthy patrons, and its symbolic imagery often reflected the values and beliefs of the time. Thinking about designs like this reminds us that the materials and processes used to create an artwork are just as important as its subject matter, challenging the traditional distinction between fine art and craft.