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Stained, or colored art glass, is one of the most commonly referenced type of artistic glass. One of the oldest known examples of multiple pieces of colored glass used in a window were unearthed at St. Paul's Monastery in Jarrow, England, founded in 686 CE. The process to create a piece of stained glass is quite complex. The Artist will create a template and rough sketch to show the overall layout, these templates were traditionally made using large cuts of stone or wood as paper was a luxury not to be wasted. After the template was finalized the artist would hand select each piece of glass to correspond to specific objects or areas. Smaller details including faces, hair, hands, writing were painted directly onto the glass using special paints mixed from smashed bits of glass, finely ground lead and copper fillings, and other mediums such as vinegar, wine, or urine. Only after the glass is cut and painted are the pieces assembled by inserting neighboring pieces into lead cames; joints are then soldered together and weatherproofing is applied using soft oily cement (GlassFacts.info). John La Farge (March 1835 - November 1910) invented opalescent glass which is extensively used in Tiffany style windows and lamps (Conservation Research Laboratory).

Venetian and Murano glass are forever intertwined as the glass artisans in Venice were forced out of the Venetian Republic due to fear the foundries in the city would cause fire and destruction to the city; the glassmakers moved to the nearby city of Murano. These artisans were of such high regard they were allowed to wear swords and were above persecution by local authorities. Murano glassmakers had a monopoly on high quality glass for centuries, during which they developed and refined a multitude of glassmaking technologies. Today the artisans at Murano still employ these centuries' old techniques to produce some of the finest contemporary art glass, chandeliers, glass jewelry and wine glasses (MacFarlane and Martine, 51).

Because glass has always served a very functional use throughout history, it had not always been regarded as fine art. Skilled artisans in the craft never truly remained famous like an artist such as Michelangelo or Monet did even though glassmakers have created some of the most beautiful artistic pieces in history. One historical piece, known as the Portland Vase, has served as inspiration to many glass makers from the beginning of the 18th century onwards. The vase is dated 5-25 CE, and has been held in the British Museum in London ever since 1945. The Portland Vase is a dark violet and blue hue and is adorned with intricate white figures. There are several interpretations of the scenes portrayed on this piece (Stern, 27). Known as a cameo-vessel, the vase was created using the dip-overlay method. An elongated bubble of glass is dipped into a crucible of white glass before the two were blown together, and after they cooled the white layer.

A more modern example of famous glass artwork is not merely one vessel, but instead a whole production line of glass artwork. Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 1848 - January 1933) was an American designer who is best known for his works in stained glass. His company, Tiffany & Company, produced stained glass windows, lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels, and metalwork. He is most famous for harnessing opalescent gla本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。