Throughout the centuries, mankind has managed to perfect many forms of art. Paints today come in a variety of textures and colours. Many early paints were made with ingredients that faded over just a year, but many of today’s paints can last decades. When it comes to glass, perfection has made smooth panes for art or building. It may seem like the world is a better place, yet there are people who appreciate interesting pieces of glass that were made centuries ago.
The number of ways imperfections used to be introduced to glass during manufacture are many. Some ingredients were not quite mixed well enough, and that added bubbles to the finished product. Looking at lumps or waves in the glass is about the imperfection of temperature control in earlier ages. There are stained glass windows where the colours change from one end of a panel to the other, and that is due to the glass cooling before the mixing was completely done. These might look like flaws today, yet they add a certain amount of charm and character to the story of manufacturing in days long gone.
Creating art over the centuries has been a long journey, and perfection was not always the goal. The delivery of a message was often what an artist envisioned, and attracting attention from viewers was part of it. Seeing and understanding the message had little to do with the perfect manufacturing of their art. Attempts at perfection were made by many, yet some of the charm may be missing from newer pieces in the world of stained glass windows.
Modern life is often about clean lines and perfect colours to many people, yet they may be missing the charm that goes along with imperfections. In the world of stained glass, many strides forward have been made, yet even the oldest pieces are still cherished by those who appreciate good art.
