Blown Glass: History and Techniques
As an art form, glassblowing has been around since the 1st century B.C., and has a very complex and detailed history. From ancient and natural occurring volcanic glass to the beautiful and intricate art of today, glassblowing, and glass itself, have had a long and arduous path. To better understand glassblowing, it is essential to understand the development of glass, its history, and how the techniques used by artists have evolved throughout history.
Man-made glass itself is an ancient art form that dates back to roughly 4000BC. Prior to this, obsidian, a type of naturally occurring glass formed by the rapid cooling of viscous lava flowing out of an erupting volcano, was used by primitive societies to …show more content…
Additionally, the desired style of the time praised the thin and transparent qualities of blown glass, further adding to its popularity. (History of Glass, 2016) Glassblowing was not only less expensive than prior methods, but also less time-consuming, leading to large-scale production and distribution. The emphasis placed on the arts and culture by Roman society was crucial in stimulating the remarkable artistic developments of this period. Most of the techniques used by glassblowers today were invented by craftsmen during this period, for example, using patterned molds in combination with glassblowing, painting on glass, and using layers of glass to create designs or motifs. (History of Glass, 2016) Despite the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, the art of glassblowing continued to be popular in Europe until the Renaissance, when it exploded due to the efforts of Italian artists to revitalize the glass industry. Because of the relative scarcity of glass due to limited areas where the raw materials could be harvested, Italian merchants and artists alike quickly realized the value of glass, and Venetian artists attempted to keep their methods secret, resulting in a monopoly. This was not a new phenomenon, as throughout history, the techniques of glassblowing were spread only from artist to apprentice for centuries. For Venetian glass workers, merely leaving the island where the glass houses were located was a crime – punishable by death. (History of Glass, 2016) In spite of their secrecy and harsh rules, after extensive efforts by merchants and other competitors, including bribing or kidnapping glass workers, glassblowing technology finally spread north to Germany, France, Bohemia, and eventually across the ocean in the early sixteen-hundreds