St. John's Stained Glass Window Restoration Project 2005 | Back

CONDITION OF WINDOW BEFORE RESTORATION: The complete paint failure in the eyes and hair are caused by poor adhesion of the enamels during the kiln firing process. Stained glass painting is an old art form, predating oil painting. It is a process similar to ceramic painting, wherein metallic paint and powdered glass is applied in layers and fired in between applications in a kiln at high temperatures (1050+ degrees) to cause molecular adhesion. It is believed that this delicately painted central figure was painted by an artist other than the one who painted and fired the border pieces, where there is relatively no paint loss.