The Decorative Features And Religious Meanings Of The Stained Glass Windows Of The Shishi Cathedral

In the long history of the development of decorative arts, the stained glass art appeared as an ancient art form and saw its heyday of development in the West during the Middle Ages from the 12th to 15th centuries. It had brilliant achievements and was one of the most attractive and shining Gothic arts.This thesis first reviews and traces what caused Gothic stained glass mosaic art to come into existence in the West during the Middle Ages, outlines the rough course of its development, and then examines the rich decorative features and deep religious meanings of stained glass mosaic arts from a standpoint of decorative arts. Against a macro theoretical backdrop, the author of this thesis makes a first effort to carry out a systematic study of the Shishi Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—the archbishop's cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guangzhou, China. Combining theoretical analysis and field research, the study investigates the decorative styles, features, and functions of the cathedral as well as their religious meanings, taking into account the themes of the stained glass windows and their sources, the structures and patterns of the stone windows, the beauty in the color and light from the stained glass, and the overall window layouts.The systematic analysis and summarizing of the decorative features and religious meanings of the Shishi Cathedral's stained glass windows reveal that the windows of the Cathedral can be viewed as having"placed feelings on the materials": The deep religious feelings are contained in the beauty that comes from the unity of the light and color. Thus, the spirituality is expressed through the material forms. Only those who can find the perfect fit between the spirit and the art, genuinely sense it with their hearts, and adequately connect the characteristics of the materials and the superb craftsmanship can give an utter outlet to the beauty of the decorative arts, bring it to perfection, and strike a resonant chord in the hearts of their viewers.