Editing Stained glass (section)

===Medieval glass in Europe===
{{see also|Poor Man's Bible|Medieval stained glass|French Gothic stained glass windows}}

Stained glass, as an art form, reached its height in the [[Middle Ages]] when it became a major pictorial form used to illustrate the narratives of the Bible to a largely illiterate populace.

In the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] and Early [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] period, from about 950 to 1240, the untraceried windows demanded large expanses of glass which of necessity were supported by robust iron frames, such as may be seen at [[Chartres Cathedral]] and at the eastern end of [[Canterbury Cathedral]]. As [[Gothic architecture]] developed into a more ornate form, windows grew larger, affording greater illumination to the interiors, but were divided into sections by vertical shafts and tracery of stone. This elaboration of form reached its height of complexity in the [[Flamboyant]] style in Europe, and windows grew still larger with the development of the [[Perpendicular style]] in England and [[Rayonnant]] style in France.

Integrated with the lofty verticals of Gothic cathedrals and parish churches, glass designs became more daring. The circular form, or [[rose window]], developed in France from relatively simple windows with openings pierced through slabs of thin stone to wheel windows, as exemplified by the west front of Chartres Cathedral, and ultimately to designs of enormous complexity, the tracery being drafted from hundreds of different points, such as those at [[Sainte-Chapelle]], Paris and the "Bishop's Eye" at [[Lincoln Cathedral]].

While stained glass was widely manufactured, [[Chartres]] was the greatest centre of stained glass manufacture, producing glass of unrivalled quality.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Stained Glass}}</ref>

<gallery style="font-size:95%;line-height:1.35" class="center" widths="200" heights="200" caption="Medieval glass in France">
File:Vitrail Chartres 210209 07.jpg|Detail of a 13th-century window from [[Chartres Cathedral]]
File:Musee-de-l-Oeuvre-Notre-Dame-Strasbourg-IMG 1465 crop.JPG|''Charlemagne'' from a Romanesque window in [[Strasbourg Cathedral]]
File:Poitiers, Cathédrale Saint-Pierre -PM 34985 lighter.JPG|The [[Crucifixion]] window of [[Poitiers Cathedral]]
File:Vitrail Cathédrale d'Evreux 22 02 09 13.jpg|Late Gothic [[Tree of Jesse]] window from [[Evreux Cathedral]]
File:Chartres RosetteSued 122 DSC08269.jpg|The south transept windows from Chartres Cathedral
</gallery>
<gallery style="font-size:95%;line-height:1.35" class="center" caption="Medieval glass in Germany and Austria" widths="200" heights="200">
File:King David in Augsburg Cathedral light.JPG|''King David'' from [[Augsburg]] Cathedral (early 12th century). One of the oldest examples in situ.
File:Graz_Leechkirche_20061105_adjusted.JPG|''Crucifixion with Ss Catherine, George and Margaret'', Leechkirche, [[Graz]], Austria
File:Koeln-Hohe Domkirche St Peter und Maria-Zentrum des Chorobergadens mit Koenigsfenstern b.jpg|The windows of the choir of [[Cologne Cathedral]] (early 14th century)
File:Kapellenfenster Köln um 1340 KGM paste.JPG|''The Crucifixion'' and ''Virgin and Child in Majesty'', Cologne Cathedral (1340)
File:Ulm-Muenster-BessererKapelle-SuedFenster adjusted.JPG|[[Ulm Munster]], ''The Last Judgement'' by Hans Acker (1430)
</gallery>
<gallery style="font-size:95%;line-height:1.35" class="center" widths="200" heights="200" caption="Medieval glass in England">
File:England YorkMinster JesseTree c1170.JPG|Detail of a [[Tree of Jesse]] from [[York Minster]] (c. 1170), the oldest stained-glass window in England
File:Canterbury Cathedral 020 Poor Mans Bbible Window 01 adj.JPG|The [[Poor Man's Bible]] window from [[Canterbury Cathedral]] (13th century)
File:Canterbury Cathedral window crop.JPG|South transept window at [[Canterbury Cathedral]] (13th century)
File:York York minster windows 003 crop.JPG|The west window of York Minster (1338–39)
File:Fairford st mary 011.jpg|''The Last Judgement'', St Mary's Church, [[Fairford]], Barnard Flower (1500–17)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/fairford-church|title=Fairford Church|publisher=Sacred-destinations.com|date=20 October 2007|access-date=24 March 2014}}</ref>
</gallery>