Windows: A Book About Stained & Painted Glass
1909
Lewis F. Day spent over twenty-five years hunting stained glass across Europe, and this book is what that lifetime of devotion taught him. Written by a craftsman for fellow craftsmen and enthusiasts, it approaches stained glass not as dry art history but as living tradition: the principles that made medieval windows ache with light, the techniques that carried through to the Renaissance, the reasoning behind decisions that modern makers still grapple with. Day writes with the humility of a man who knows his trade intimately. He offers no academic footnotes, only the quiet wisdom gathered from decades at the workbench and in the churches themselves. He draws parallels to poetry and jewelry, arguing that stained glass demands we cross the threshold - appreciate it from within, not merely observe it from without. The book traces the evolution of glass-making from ancient times through the seventeenth century, always grounding technical discussion in artistic purpose. Day insists workmanship comes first, then art: we are workmen first and artists afterwards. For those who make glass, study art, or simply stand breathless before cathedral windows, this book reveals the thinking behind the beauty.
