Have you ever been inside a building with stained glass? Stained-glass windows can be made of separate sections of colored glass held together by strips of lead. When sunlight shines through these windows, the inside of the building transforms into a magical place filled with shades of colored light. This window was made in France around 1270–1285. In what ways is it different from the windows at your home or your school?

This brightly colored window is round and is decorated with a picture of an angel holding a censer (incense burner) in the center. Incense burning is a part of Catholic Mass, used during processions and for blessings. The middle of the window is in the shape of a trefoil: a shape created by three connecting circles. This part of the window is made of stained glass. The outer sections of the window are painted in grisaille, or shades of gray. Originally, the window was part of a larger stained-glass window, one of hundreds in the cathedral at Sées in northwest France.

Architecture built around this time is called Gothic architecture. Gothic cathedrals were built to be very tall with high ceilings, thin walls, and many windows. Artists depicted stories from the Bible, scenes from the life of Christ, and images of the saints in stained glass. People who could not read about their faith in the Bible could learn about it by looking at the images in the church windows. For the faithful, the colored light created by stained-glass windows symbolized the presence of God.

You can see this and other stained-glass windows when you visit the European art galleries on the third floor of the Ahmanson Building.

Search Collections Online to see more stained glass.

The Protais Master of Sées
Stained Glass Panel with Angel, circa 1270-85
Stained Glass, Glass and metal, Diameter: 32 in. (81.3 cm)
William Randolph Hearst Collection (45.21.12a-b)
Photo © 2008 Museum Associates / LACMA