Mr. C. Heath Wilson 07i Glass Faiiiting. 315 



thinner and purer glass, and the use generally of lighter colours, would 

 have rendered the glass painting of the fifteenth century weak and 

 unsatisfactory, but for this improvement in the method of painting ; 

 for we have now much use of half tints, and the lights are reduced 

 to points, as in nature and in all good art. The thin quality of the 

 glass has been adverted to as a reason for this extended use of 

 the brush, necessary to give the requisite solidity ; but it is im- 

 possible to doubt that it was also the result of new and advanced 

 ideas of art. Artists were no longer satisfied by a process which 

 was, in fact, little better than rude sketching, they evidently looked 

 at and desired to imitate nature, and to this would I attribute the 

 improved method of this period of glass painting. It is remarkable 

 that whilst making this advance in the representation of the human 

 figure, the same artists should have been satisfied with a very con- 

 ventional and by no means beautiful style of ornament. The practice 

 of framing the figure-subjects with canopies, or borders of white and 

 yellow glass, is distinctive of the style, as well as that of carrying the 

 picture part of the design across the entire window. Some progress 

 had been made in this system in Decorated continental glass, although 

 not in English examples ; but it was freely adopted in England towards 

 the close of the fifteenth century. Perpendicular glass is brilliant, 

 silvery, and sparkling ; the execution is soft and delicate ; and this, the 

 last phase of Gothic art, is full of interest and beauty, occupying a very 

 important place in the history and practice of fine art. 



"We have thus traced the history of Glass painting, step by step, 

 and the lesson to be derived is a most striking and important one. We 

 find that no age of real art imitates servilely that of preceding times. 

 Wherever servile imitation is seen, it is a certain proof of incapacity 

 to originate. 



The Revival or Cinquecento style reached its perfection between 

 the years 1525 and 1535, which may be termed the golden age of glass 

 painting. I have alluded to the light silvery tones, and pallid colour of 

 Perpendicular glass ; in Cinquecento glass, colour resumes its swav, 

 regulated by a consummate knowledge of the laws of harmony ; this 

 doubtless wo owe to the per/ervidtwi, mgenium Jtalianum manifested 

 in the superbly coloured windows existing in Florence and some other 

 Italian cities. In Cinquecento windows the ornamental and figure 

 portions are kept distinct — the ornament forming the frame to the 

 figures, not in the modern sense, however, but after a fashion of which 

 a few examples remain in Italy, the most notable which I recollect 

 being at S. Fior. A picture by Cima da Concgliano in the principal 

 church, is surrounded by a blue and gold carved frame, the columns, 

 pilasters, and ornaments of which repeat similar details represented in 



