The almost forgotten craft of glass painting has been revived by Belarusian craftsmen

The tradition of glass painting has been known since the times of Ancient Rome - small plates with color images (in particular, religious scenes and Christian symbols) are often found in Roman catacombs. With the passage of time and the improvement of glassblowing production, glass painting also developed, acquiring various forms - from decorating ritual utensils to creating stained glass windows in castles and cathedrals. Since the 18th century, it has even competed with easel (created on a machine, easel). Ordering a canvas on canvas is expensive, but small paintings on glass are a more democratic option, and they gradually began to “inhabit” the interiors of representatives of the trading class.

The turning point was the period of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, when painting on glass, as they say, went among the people: European workshops began producing subject glass paintings on an industrial scale. At this time, such products - from landscapes to pastoral and religious scenes - were affordable and became very popular.

The appearance of glass painting on the territory of Belarus dates back to this time. However, local craftsmen, taking the European “matrix” as a basis, created their own unique style. If German and Polish glass paintings mainly depict everyday and religious scenes, Belarusian folk craftsmen, as a rule, used plant and ornamental and decorative subjects, sometimes completely repeating, for example, patterns of traditional embroidery, painting on chests or homespun carpets. Transparent tinted varnishes, oil and printing paints were used for painting. In this case, the outline of the image was drawn with a thin black line, and the voids inside were filled with color, which made the picture very similar to a small stained glass window. The researchers note that the colors used were usually clean and bright, without smooth transitions. Another feature is the lining made of crumpled foil, which gave the picture zest and originality.

Revival of fragile art

Glass painting - the so-called "shklinka-malyavanka" - decorated rural interiors until the early 1970s, and many masters practiced this art. But as homespun handlooms and fabrics disappeared from rural life, the art of glass painting also became unclaimed - it was replaced by reproductions of famous paintings on embossed cardboard.

Unfortunately, due to the fragility of the material, the old works were preserved only in ethnographic museums or private collections. Nevertheless, enthusiasts - ethnographers and artists of the Berezinsky and Pruzhany districts - did not let the tradition disappear. Having done a lot of work and traveled to dozens of villages where glass painting craftsmen lived, they revived this craft. Now it is taught in art studios, and tourists are happy to buy original souvenirs. Pictures drawn on glass fit organically into modern interiors.

In March 2023, traditional glass painting in the Berezovsky and Pruzhansky districts of the Brest region was added to the List of historical and cultural values of Belarus. An almost forgotten craft has been revived by local craftsmen, who now not only engage in such creativity themselves, but also teach a unique technique to children and adults.

Source: https://www.sb.by/