Stained glass is colored glass arranged in patterns or pictures, held together by strips of lead or copper to create windows, panels, or decorative objects. When light shines through stained glass, it transforms into brilliant colors that fill a room with glowing reds, blues, greens, and golds.

The most famous stained glass windows appear in medieval cathedrals and churches across Europe, where artists created enormous windows depicting biblical stories, saints, and symbolic images. These windows served as visual storytelling for people who couldn't read, turning walls into glowing picture books. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris and England's Canterbury Cathedral contain stunning examples that are hundreds of years old.

Creating stained glass requires careful craftsmanship. Artists cut pieces of colored glass into precise shapes, then fit them together like a complex puzzle. They paint details onto the glass using special metallic paints that fuse to the surface when heated. Finally, they connect the pieces with narrow strips of metal, creating the distinctive dark lines you see between the colors.

Today, artists still create stained glass for churches, homes, and public buildings. Some work in traditional styles, while others design modern, abstract patterns. The American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany became famous in the early 1900s for his nature-inspired stained glass lamps and windows featuring dragonflies, flowers, and peacock feathers.