REVERSE GLASS PAINTING

Example -- Adam and Eve

Completed Painting

Same painting turned
and viewed through the glass

The especial technique of reverse glass painting (also referred to as "Hnterglas" -- behind the glass) dates back to the 13th century.

Lost with the Romans, glass as an object for many uses reappeared in Venice, Italy.  To promote the glass, it was utilized in small panels depicting folk-art and primitive religious themes.  These were carried and understood by the people of the times and displayed in selected places  in their homes.  Thus the technique of Reverse Glass Painting emerged.

The painting process is precise and demanding.  Great care is taken that no mistake is made since mistakes cannot be corrected.

All contours are outlined on glass -- and the actual painting process is reversed  -- details are painted first and the background is applied last.  Once the artist feels the work is completed, the glass is turned over and the work displays itself.

The viewer is literally looking at the picture through a transparent canvas obtaining the perception that the work is imbedded in the glass.

With the invention of printing and transfer painting, the use of the reverse glass technique became nearly extinct.

The home oriented "glass art" reemerged in Central Europe, particularly in my native Austria where I joined a study group advancing the evolution of this nearly forgotten art.