Glass has always played an important role in the history, art, and economy of the state of Tyrol. The tradition of glassworking and artistic design dates back to the Middle Ages and continues to this day. The numerous scholarly articles and publications released in Austria as part of the Corpus Vitrearum project demonstrate the breadth of Tyrol’s stained glass collections throughout the centuries up to the present day.
Notable examples include the fourth volume of the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi series on medieval stained glass in Tyrol (2007) and the publication on the early works of the Tyrolean Stained Glass Company (Ars Vitrearum 1, 2022).
Figure: Coat-of-arms window of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol, 1574, Tyrolean State Museums, Inv. No. 36828 © TLM, Photo: Johannes Plattner
As part of a collaboration between the Tyrolean State Museums and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, a publication on the topic of “Glass in Tyrol” is currently being prepared. This collaboration was initiated during the “Glass in Tyrol” symposium held in September 2023. The Tyrolean State Museums' art history collections hold around 800 hollow glass objects, 100 glass paintings and the largest collection of small-format round and coat-of-arms glass panels from the Late Gothic and Renaissance periods in Austria. The result will be a comprehensive publication covering key aspects of hollow and flat glass, as well as mosaics, in Tyrol from the Middle Ages to the present day. The book presents explanations of materials and techniques, and discusses prominent glass objects, their patrons, and the artists who created them. The book is scheduled for publication in print in 2031.
The project is led by Dr. Christina Wais-Wolf / Austrian Academy of Sciences and Mag. Christina Zenz / Tyrolean State Museums
Editors: Christina Zenz, Christina Wais-Wolf, Andreas Rudigier, Reinhard Rampold and Thomas Steppan.
Further information about the project can be found on the Tyrolean State Museums website.
A selection of publications on the topic of glass in Tyrol can be found here.
Contact
Dr. Christina Wais
A collaborative project of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IHB) and the Tyrolean State Museums
