A Look at Marc Chagall:  Stained Glass Artist

Marc Chagall The Fine Artist

The famed artist Marc Chagall is well known in by nearly any art lover in the world.  You too have likely heard of him. A Russian-French artist by birth, his creations grace galleries, churches, home, and school worldwide.  He was an early modernist–although he was not exclusive to that style. His vast painting portfolio of work includes “The Poet or half-past three” pictured below.

As mentioned above he was mostly associated with the modernist movement but was definitely known for amazing work in a number of stylistic categories. Likewise, he created art in many different formats painting, book illustrations, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries art prints notwithstanding.

Marc Chagall The Stained Glass Master

A prolific artist known for his intuitive use of color, Marc Chagall was also, a stained glass artist.  In fact, Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows grace chapels and schools around the world But, Chagall didn’t start working in stained glass until his 70’s–which is amazing considering how many pieces he created and sheer talent of his stained glass work.  It is also no surprise that he was such a success in the stained glass medium either because, in all of his artwork, Chagall was incredibly in tune with light and color–a skill he easily transferred to stained glass creation. This attention to exactly how and where light would shine through his stained glass windows coupled with the clever exploitation of glass properties to instill the most amazing colors–were the keys to his overwhelming success.  

Marc Chagall Stained Glass For Churches

Chagall did quite a few church stained glass windows though his artistry was not solely bestowed upon churches.  Although he did do many church stained glass windows in Europe–France he was also commissioned internationally for quite a few non-religious works.   Some of the “secular” windows he created were for establishments right here in the United States. One series is called “America Windows” and can be viewed at the The Art Institute of Chicago.  These windows are prized American art treasures as you can see by the video below.

Chigall Stained Glass In America from Fort Collins Stained Glass on Vimeo.

Here at Fort Collins Stained Glass, we have a deep love and respect for stained glass and stained glass artists like Marc Chagall continue to influence what we do each day.  Whether for churches or homes or our stained glass restoration–we look to masters like these for our inspiration. For more information on what we do or if you have stained glass questions, reach out to us today!

Martin Faith

Martin's work has been spotlighted on HGTV, the DIY Network, CBS, NBC, and numerous media outlets. He is one of the most accomplished stained glass artisans of his time and the proud owner of Fort Collins Stained Glass. He has dedicated his entire life's career to sharing his love of stained glass with others and is an expert on its origin, manufacturing process, and history. In addition to creating custom stained glass for homes and commercial businesses, Martin also acts as a consultant for church restoration projects. Drawing on his own research and ongoing education as well as the skills that he attained while working as a glass artisan in Scotland, Martin helps property owners identify the best styles and options of stained glass for achieving their aesthetic and architectural goals. His company has been in business for over thirty years and has successfully executed over 50,000 projects.