Necessary, not sufficient.: The Circulation of Knowledge about Stained Glass in the Northern Netherlands, 1650–1821

Abstract

Home > Journals > Nuncius > Necessary, Not Sufficient Advanced Search button for Search Full Access Necessary, Not Sufficient PDF The Circulation of Knowledge about Stained Glass in the Northern Netherlands, 1650–1821 image of Nuncius Author: Marieke M.A. Hendriksen1 Source: Nuncius, Volume 31, Issue 2, pages 332 – 360 Publication Year : 2016 DOI: 10.1163/18253911-03102003 ISSN: 0394-7394 E-ISSN: 1825-3911 Document Type: Research Article Subjects: History Keywords: stained glass; Netherlands; circulation of knowledge Subscription and article submission information For more content, see Annali dell'Istituto e Museo di storia della scienza di Firenze. « Previous ArticleTable of ContentsNext Article » Abstract Full Text Media References(0) Cited By (0) Metrics Abstract The craft of making stained glass all but disappeared from the northern Netherlands in the long eighteenth century, but craft knowledge continued to circulate in texts and rare attempts at revival. This paper studies the role of artisans, natural historians and apothecaries and their use of texts in attempts to maintain and revive the knowledge of and techniques for the production of stained glass in the northern Netherlands between 1650 and 1821. I argue that their efforts contributed to the preservation of existing stained glass, and raised awareness about the cultural and historical value of stained glass and the knowledge and skills required to produce it. Although much tacit, practical knowledge was lost, basic technical knowledge circulated in a small number of texts. Combined with preserved stained glass, these texts served as the basis for reconstructive experiments that would lead to a revival of the art in the nineteenth century.