These 15 Gorgeous Photographs Capture the Beautiful Art of Blown and Stained Glass
We see and use glass every day, but its potential as beautiful art is often overlooked. In the right hands, however, windows, vases, glassware and light fixtures can be transformed into otherworldly works. Artists, such as world-renowned glass blower Dale Chihuly, shape the material into forms that fascinate. Stained-glass windows all over the globe tell stories, record history or offer impressive patterns. Chihuly famously said, “Glass is the most magical of all materials.” See for yourself with these 15 images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest.
Featuring scantily clad human figures, these stained-glass windows in Glasgow Cathedral seemingly depict the story of creation from the book of Genesis. Joss Broward, Scotland, 2023
This abstract piece of blown glass is part of an exhibit at the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum in Seattle. Laurence Cutler, Washington, 2019
A stained glass feature on the ceiling of a scientific facility in Yokohama, Japan, artistically pays homage to the human form. Shinya Murayama, Japan, 2023
A kaleidoscope of colors bathes a young Iranian sitting near stained glass windows in the Nasir-ol-Molk mosque in Shiraz. Matteo Carta, Iran, 2019
A geometric design featuring panes of stained glass transforms a would-be ordinary window into an exhibit-worthy site at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai. Kaylyn Hamilton, China, 2017
