L’ART DU VITRAIL

First, at the Jacobins, the history, methods and styles of this fragile craft are retraced. This church boasts medieval stained glass windows, archaeological reconstructions and works installed between 1951 and 1964 by master glass artist Max Ingrand.

Later, at Les Chartreux, the guide will show you that stained glass windows are no longer really used in windows, where people prefer daylight to illuminate the theatricality of 17th-century paintings. You will also learn how, in the 19th century, Louis-Victor Gesta of Toulouse mechanised the manufacture of stained glass and distributed it on a large scale through catalogues, like ready-to-wear clothing...

What's more, at Saint Sernin, we're talking stained glass for the 2017-2024 season, with Jean-Michel Othoniel's rose window. Created in the old-fashioned way, but using state-of-the-art technology (the Loire workshops), the juxtaposition of its discs called "cives" will make your head spin.

Finally, discover a designer who transferred stained glass from churches to civil buildings: André Rapp. In 1935, he created "L'Education de l'enfance" for the Art Deco-style Bibliothèque municipale.

With its patterned cardboard, damask motifs, silver-yellow pigments and grisaille, you'll be taking a fresh look at stained-glass 'fashion', and it's just what you need...