After a 19th century marked by the industrial production of historicist stained glass, the 20th century sends stained glass along the paths of modernity. Whether they are test panels or exhibition panels, the examples displayed in this room reveal this new direction.
While the naturalist and symbolist themes of Art Nouveau influence the production of stained glass at the beginning of the 20th century, this influence is limited to decorative panels or civil windows, generally produced by painter-decorators, and primarily reflect a passing trend.
The projection of stained glass into the modernity of the 20th century actually begins after the First World War. Indeed, the suffering caused by the conflict then fosters a revival of Sacred Art, which finds a field of expression in Reconstruction projects. In the 1930s, the construction of new churches to combat urban dechristianization also contributes to a profound renewal of the art of stained glass. By favoring glass mosaics, a broader color palette, and new materials such as glass tiles, stained glass artists at that time gave special importance to the expression of the iconographic subject.
After World War II, the spread of modern stained glass continued even further, both in small rural churches that had suffered war damage and in large, new contemporary churches. Whether it was now entrusted to contemporary artists or remained in the hands of stained glass painters, the creation of stained glass windows sometimes featured themes of abstraction.