. A stained glass tour in Italy. ucent alabaster. The thickness of this substanceis such that although it readily admits the lightwhen the suns rays are falling directly upon it,it almost entirely excludes them when the anglebecomes too acute. Therefore the fact that thesewindows are stationed in a semi-circle results inno two of them being lighted to the same extentat the same time. Elsewhere in Italy the colourof the alabaster used in windows is fairly evenin tone, but here it is strongly mottled, the effectbeing almost that of rich pink nuggets in a fieldof grey. It is fascinating to sit he
. A stained glass tour in Italy. ucent alabaster. The thickness of this substanceis such that although it readily admits the lightwhen the suns rays are falling directly upon it,it almost entirely excludes them when the anglebecomes too acute. Therefore the fact that thesewindows are stationed in a semi-circle results inno two of them being lighted to the same extentat the same time. Elsewhere in Italy the colourof the alabaster used in windows is fairly evenin tone, but here it is strongly mottled, the effectbeing almost that of rich pink nuggets in a fieldof grey. It is fascinating to sit here and watchthese great translucent slabs slowly shift in toneas the light upon them varies. One of themwill be brilliantly lighted, while the one farthestfrom it will have faded into an opaque cannot watch them long without noticing afeature which may have been studied or may bebut the fruit of lucky chance. The grey of theslabs, which for the moment are opaque, blendsexactly with the grey marble of the apse, while 104. INTERIOR OF SAN MINIATONote the strength of the pattern decoration done in different coloured marbles andmosaics, also the pictured marble pavement. The alabaster windows are ranged roundthe semicircular apse seen in the upper of the two floo)s into which the eastern end ofthe chuch is divided. San Miniato in the more translucent windows the light has, bycontrast, made some denser parts of the alabasteras black as the black marbles about it. Thus,be the alabaster grey or black, there is always amarble to match it, and so it swings through itsharmony of translucence, accompanied by a doublebass of grey and black. It is impossible todescribe in written words the soft mellow glowyielded by the San Miniato alabaster—to beunderstood it should not only be seen, but mustbe watched. We will be content, however, withyour promise to go there for, once before it, youwill surely fall victim to the alabasters ever varyingspell. 105 VAL DEMA NO pilgrimage into the
Size: 1378px × 1813px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectglasspaintingandstai
