Reverse glass painting

The painting on glass is a special type of glass painting. In this case, opaque color are applied to a thin glass sheet. Here lies the difference for stained glass, used in translucent colors. Today mainly acrylic colors are used. However, when plotting the outlines with ink and pen, it is advisable to instead use oil paints. The colors appear in this way much more authentic.

When painting on glass first, the contours are drawn, then painted the figures and the very end, the background is painted. There are also other materials such as gold leaf or tin foil used in the painting behind glass. A variation of the glass painting is behind glass etchings, in which the glass is colored or blackened with soot and then motifs are scraped out.

This painting has been operating since the 14th century and spread from the 16th century in Italy, starting in Central Europe. Soon we went over to mass production, which took place not in factories, but in large families. The glass painting was a winter employment for many rural families. In this example, in Sandl, Upper Austria, produced by families in the 19th century within a winter up to 20,000 glass paintings with different themes.

The "Behind Glass Industry " was always to be found in the vicinity of glassworks. The Austro-Hungarian monarchy at the time was the main producer, above all the places on the Upper Austrian - Bohemian border as Sandl, Bucher, Sword Mountain, Gratzen and Karlstift in the Waldviertel.

The painted images there, which mainly religious motives, saints represented, were sold by peddlers known as " Kraner " or " Brandlkramer " in the whole monarchy. They were set up in the house and wayside chapels and Herrgottswinkel of the home and also produces for various places of pilgrimage. There, the pilgrims could buy glass paintings that represented the respective revered saints. Since the 1970s, the reverse glass painting experienced a renaissance because it is offered again at hobby art classes.

In Sandl, Upper Austria, there is a " Behind Glass Museum "; an extensive collection of glass paintings (531 pictures from the period 1770 to 1930 ) is located in Mühlviertler Castle Museum in Freistadt, more collections can be found in the Upper Austrian Landesmuseum in Linz, the Austrian Museum of Ethnology in Vienna and the Schloss Murnau.

Not only in Austria, the glass painting is widespread. In Romania, this art form has a long tradition. The motifs are focusing on Orthodox Christian scenes, but there are also those who represent rural life worlds. Especially famous was the Croatian painter Ivan Generalić ( 1914-1992 ). His birthplace Hlebine is the seat of the school of naive art Hlebine. He is considered one of the most important artists of the naive art of the former Yugoslavia.

In Germany, the abstract painter Regina rhyme maintains the reverse glass painting.

Another special type of glass painting is the → Eglomisé.