Despite the fact that apparently a lot of the Victorian stained glass didn’t last long there are still plenty of lovely windows in Glasgow Cathedral.
I adore colour and particularly coloured glass. I’ve never seen the attraction of flashy diamonds. I’d always be happier with a beautiful coloured gemstone, even if it was only glass. So long as it was set in a metal which wouldn’t turn my finger green.
These stained glass windows were originally designed so that those medieval Christians who couldn’t read would still be able to recognise the stories from the bible that the windows depict.
You could study some of the windows for hours I’m sure and probably still find something in them that you hadn’t seen the first time you looked at them. Going to a church service must have been quite an entertainment and of course most people probably didn’t have any glass at all in their own houses.
Sadly the photo that I took of the Millenium window which is in shades of blue and purple didn’t come out well, but you can see some images of it here.
I think the colours are sumptuous, but those blue/purple shades are some of my favourites. Can you believe that there are people in this world that hate purple? Bizarre, and I’ve never felt that it’s a colour that I shouldn’t be wearing, no matter what my age might be.
What intricate detail in those designs…really hard to imagine the amount of work that went into those windows. While I’m not a huge fan of purple, I do appreciate certain shades of it and find it very flattering on most people who wear it. My sister who has red/auburn hair has always worn it well:)
Paula,
There was some famous person years ago – can’t think who – who said that redheads should wear purple as it brought out the colour in their hair. I’m not keen on that really eye searing shade of purple, but the softer shades can be lovely.
I’ve always loved purple too. And I learned a lot from your info on stained glass windows. I’ve always admired them but now realise I’ve never stopped to think about them beyond the colours, the craftmanship and the stories they depict. Thank you!
Sandra,
I’m glad you enjoyed your armchair visit!
As I sat here this morning in my deep purple bathrobe ….. I love purples and blues, too. The church and stained glass windows are incredibly beautiful.
Joan,
Snap, I didn’t know you loved purples and blues too. We’ll be going back there again as we want to explore the Necropolis which is just across the road.