author
Christopher Whall
1849–1924
A leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, this British stained-glass artist helped revive the idea that windows should be designed and made with the same care as any other work of art. His richly colored church windows and influential teaching left a lasting mark on modern stained glass.
1 Audiobook
Stained Glass Work: A text-book for students and workers in glass
by Christopher Whall
About the author
Born in 1849, Christopher Whall became one of Britain's most important stained-glass artists. He studied at the Royal Academy Schools and, after early work as a painter and illustrator, turned seriously to stained glass in the late 19th century. He is widely remembered for insisting that an artist should stay closely involved with the making of a window, not just its design.
Whall's work is closely tied to the Arts and Crafts movement. His windows are known for strong drawing, deep color, and close attention to natural forms, and he completed commissions for churches and buildings across Britain and beyond. As a teacher at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal College of Art, he shaped a new generation of glass artists.
He also wrote Stained Glass Work: A Text-Book for Students and Workers in Glass in 1905, a book that helped spread his ideas about craft, design, and artistic integrity. Whall died on December 23, 1924, but he remains a key figure in the modern history of stained glass.