''Dalle de verre'', from French: "glass slab", is a glass art technique that uses pieces of coloured glass set in a matrix of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

and epoxy resin or other supporting material.

Technique

The technique was developed by Jean Gaudin in Paris in the 1930s. Slabs of coloured glass, to square or rectangular and typically up to thick, are shaped by breaking with a hammer or cutting with a saw. The edges of the resulting pieces may be chipped or faceted to increase the

refraction In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenome ...

and

reflection Reflection or reflexion may refer to: Science and technology * Reflection (physics), a common wave phenomenon ** Specular reflection, reflection from a smooth surface *** Mirror image, a reflection in a mirror or in water ** Signal reflection, in ...

effects. The pieces are laid out to a design, similar to traditional stained-glass work. The pieces are laid on a bed of sand, bounded by a wooden casting frame. A matrix material, sand and cement or epoxy resin, is poured between the glass pieces and allowed to dry, typically requiring 24 hours to harden. The visible glass faces are then cleaned and the resulting solid panel can be relocated, embedded or hung as required. The use of thicker glass produces deeper colour effects than traditional

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

came A came is a divider bar used between small pieces of glass to make a larger glazing panel. There are two kinds of came: the H-shaped sections that hold two pieces together and the U-shaped sections that are used for the borders. Cames are mostl ...

stained-glass, especially when illuminated by bright natural or artificial light. The technique achieved prominence in the stained glass literature of the 1950s and 1960s. File:Vitrail rocella i.jpg, Dalle de verre by Carlo Roccella Studio File:Vitrail roccella b.jpg, Dalle de verre by Carlo Roccella Studio File:Vitro buckfast.jpg, Dalle de verre at

Buckfast Abbey Buckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Buckfast first became home to an abbey in 1018. The first Benedictine abbey was followed by a Savignac (later Cistercian) abbey cons ...

, Dom Charles Norris File:YMCA Dalle de verre Hendrix.jpg, SuzyHendrix.com

Conservation

Originally, concrete was used as a matrix, which means that older pieces will be structurally unsound and require renovation. Today, modern technology has created appropriate solutions: An epoxy resin was created with the same expansion rate as the glass. This resin is now used as a matrix instead of concrete. This has solved all structural issues.

Dalle de verre in the UK

Dalle de verre was brought to the UK by

Pierre Fourmaintraux Francois Pierre Fourmaintraux (known as Pierre) (1896-1974) was a renowned glass artist who is credited with having introduced the dalle de verre technique to the UK and having taught other influential glass artists such as Dom Charles Norris. Pe ...

who joined

James Powell and Sons The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were London-based English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained glass window manufacturers. As ''Whitefriars Glass'', the company existed from the 17th century, but became well k ...

(later Whitefriars Glass Studio) in 1956 and trained

Dom Charles Norris Dom Charles Norris OSB (1909-2004) was an influential artist who created works in stained glass and dalle de verre for Roman Catholic churches in the UK. He is thought to be the most prolific artist working in dalle de verre in the UK in the 20t ...

in the technique. Norris was a Benedictine monk of Buckfast Abbey who went on to become arguably the most prolific British proponent of dalle de verre. His work is incorporated in several Modernist listed Catholic churches. Clifton Cathedral June 2018 015

Other notable dalle de verre artists who have worked in the UK include

Gabriel Loire Gabriel Loire (April 21, 1904 – December 27, 1996) was a French stained glass artist of the twentieth century whose extensive works, portraying various persons or historical scenes, appear in many venues around the world. He founded the Loire S ...

and

Henry Haig Henry Haig (9 February 19306 December 2007) was an English abstract artist, painter and sculptor but notable predominantly for his stained glass work. Early life and education Born in Hampstead in 1930, Haig's talent was recognised and encourage ...

. The latter designed the Narthex windows at

Clifton Cathedral The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city of Bristol (not to be confused with the Church of England Bristol Cathedral). Located in the Clifton area of the city, it is the seat and mother church of the ...

References

Artistic techniques Glass art Stained glass {{Art-technique-stub

Technique

Conservation

Dalle de verre in the UK

See also

References