Abstract

I will briefly present the ways on how to paint on glass, as described in historical written sources, discussing the importance of this knowledge for the preservation of historical materials and for the history of making. The case studies presented in this seminar establish a common thread for the research I have developed in the last fifteen years. The exploration of historical recipes to reconstruct paints that were used to produce stained-glass has allowed me to delve deeply into the following questions: To what extent did glassmakers follow existing glass recipes when producing glass? What is the relationship between the composition of glass, glass-based paints and their evolution? How can this information be used today to preserve this cultural heritage? The content of the seminar will allow a multifaceted discussion on a theme that embraces past, present and future research directions and pathways.