Le vitrail au creuset de la chimie, des arts du feu, de l’esthétique et de la religion

(Text in French) The stained-glass window in the crucible of chemistry, arts of fire, aesthetics, and religion During the construction of medieval cathedrals, the cost of the stained-glass windows was comparable to that of the building. Stained-glass windows are certainly the most significant glass production in the medieval West. Aesthetics evolve with the developments in the Fire Arts, the constraints of access to certain raw materials and the political and theological issues of Protestantism and the Counter-Reformation to wither away in the 18th century with a loss of technical knowledge. The Restoration of Louis XVIII then the success of the neo-Gothic and Troubadour movements revived the production of colored stained-glass windows. Art Nouveau and Art Deco take this art to a new peak, which retains its vigor with numerous contemporary creations. This article presents an overview of these technical and aesthetical developments, with their societal implications, arising from the mastery of glass production, composition and coloring techniques, and their conservation-restoration.