Glasmåleri, modernitet och modernism : studier i glasmåleriets (konst)historia 1851-1955

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the status of new stained glass from 1851-1955. The point of departure is that, despite stained glass having been part of the ?uvre of many well-known artists, it is often not included in the general history of art. One primary methodological approach is to examine the issue of status emerging from notions of the media-specific qualities of stained glass.

The status of stained glass is examined from three different perspectives: the writing of a history of stained glass, the exhibitions of stained glass in connection with the World Fairs, and the importance of the church as commissioner of stained glass, relating this to modernism. This also provide three partly different backgrounds to the case studies where the aim is to show that stained glass by Rouault, Matisse, and Le Corbusier may be validly considered as part of the history of modernist art.

In the 19th century stained glass protagonists attempted to raise the status of stained glass. The construction of a dramatic history of its own, based on the notion of stained glass of the Middle Ages as media-specific was of vital importance. However, this strategy of arguing unique qualities, firstly in relation to oil-painting, has been problematic in relation to a general history of art.

At the World Fair's of London and Paris 1851-1937, stained glass was shown as applied art. By focusing on media-specific aspects, stained glass protagonists were attempting to raise its status by suppling it with rules according to which it could be created and judged as art. During the 19th century, academic circles appear unwilling to consider any art form diverging from the Renaissance tradition as free art. Within a modernist context, artists transgressed the boundaries of the academic concept of art. This allowed for a desirable cross-fertilization of painting and stained glass.

The church's attitude to modernist art is investigated; primarily the focus is one the French Art Sacré movement as an agent of the renewal of stained glass during 1937-1955.

Stained glass made by Rouault, Matisse, and Le Corbusier deserve attention, not only as parts of the narrative of the history of stained glass, but also as important parts of these artists complete ?uvre and as images in a wider context of modernism.