The Arts and Crafts of Older Spain, Volume 2 (of 3)Williams, Leonard
History
The Arts and Crafts of Older Spain, Volume 2 (of 3)
Williams, Leonard
Decorative arts -- Spain -- History
the exact scale of the window as it was to be, was composed of all the
pieces cut out and numbered according to the various colours; and the
third, also of the projected size of the window, was kept complete, to
serve as a pattern in case the window should suffer any accident, and
require to be restored or mended. Not one of these cartoons is known to
be preserved to-day, but Rico y Sinobas points out that from the strong
and simple character of their colouring and outline, the illuminated
illustrations of Spanish thirteenth century manuscripts, such as the
_Cantigas_, and the _Book of Chess_ of Alfonso the Learned, may well
have been utilized for, or else be copied from, glass windows of that
period.
As soon as the cartoon was finished, the window-painter traced it upon
the surface of the glass. This was in square pieces, fitted conveniently
together, with sufficient space between the pieces to allow the passage
of the leads. Before being laid upon the glass and being submitted to
the fixing action of fire, the colours were mixed with honey, urine,
vinegar, and other fluids or substances which served as mediums to
attach the colour to the glass. Thus prepared, and in the form of
powder, the colours were allowed to dry for two or three days before the
glass was placed in the oven. Yellow, which was the strongest colour,
and that which penetrated deepest beneath the surface of the glass, was
made from certain combinations of silver and nitrate of potash, while
oxides or other forms of copper, lead, iron, tin, silver, and manganese,
were used for making black, white, red, green, blue, purple, violet, or
flesh-colour. These colours penetrated the glass to the depth of about
half a millimetre; but sometimes, after the colour had been applied,
the craftsman would submit the glass to friction by a wooden polisher or
wheel, thus giving it an appearance of greater clearness and
transparency at any spot he might desire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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