Colorful stained glass in black and white

The Budapest Museum of Applied Arts celebrates the 2020 World Art Nouveau Day publishing the virtual exhibition Colorful stained glass in black and white. Art Nouveau stained glass on archive photographs from the collection of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts. With the thematic collection we would like to draw attention to the fascinating Art Nouveau stained glass available on archive photographs. Amongst them there are exhibition photos from the fin de siècle, where the stained glass can be part of an interior, window or decorative element of furniture. Often these archive photos are the only sources since the artworks themselves vanished or disappeared. Despite their black and white color, the photographs imply the rich colors of the original and testify the characteristics of different endeavours of Art Nouveau. The way they fit into the interiors is a proof of the spirit of Gesamtkunstwerk as well. Excellent Hungarian manufactories worked on the execution of Art Nouveau stained glass designs such as Ede Kratzmann, István Csongrádi Forgó, Miksa Róth, Gida Waltherr, Károly Majoros (Mayböhm) and many others). Stained glass was often designed by the manufactory or outstanding Hungarian artists of the era, like the versatile artist Pál Horti or the renowned painter-applied artist József Rippl-Rónai. The main characteristic of the stained-glass compositions is determined by the transparency of glass and how it effects the light passing through, increasing or decreasing the colors. Different textures and inventions from abroad (e.g. opalescent glass) can also highlight parts of it, while the lead rails create sharp contrast to the glass. The following compilation of archive photographs is enriched by architectural photographs, designs and stained-glass windows from the collection. Detailed description of the exhibition and the gallery of selected artworks are available here.

by Zsuzsa Margittai