Monumental Mid-Century Dalle de Verre Church Glass

Description : A remarkable opportunity to preserve and reuse more than 205 square feet of monumental sacred glass art. This collection consists of 32 architectural panels, each measuring 22" x 42", created in the dramatic dalle de verre tradition that became closely associated with postwar Modernist churches. Deep sapphire and cobalt blues dominate the composition, illuminated by jewel-like passages of ruby red, turquoise, emerald green, amber, gold, and clear glass. Across the complete installation, abstract fields of color surround expressive religious figures, Christian symbols, and narrative imagery. The effect is part stained glass, part mosaic, and part illuminated sculpture. Dalle de verre is fundamentally different from conventional leaded stained glass: thick slabs of colored glass are shaped and faceted before being embedded within a substantial matrix. Those fractured and sculpted edges catch light at changing angles, creating the extraordinary depth, brilliance, and jewel-like appearance for which the technique is known. Developed by French pioneers including Auguste Labouret in the early 20th century, dalle de verre found an especially powerful home in postwar sacred architecture, where artists could transform entire walls into fields of colored light. This surviving 32-panel collection offers a rare chance to give a major work of architectural art a second life. Kept together, the panels could become an illuminated sanctuary wall, chapel installation, meditation space, memorial, museum display, hotel or restaurant feature, dramatic residential installation, or centerpiece of an adaptive-reuse project. For a collector of religious art, Mid-Century Modern design, architectural history, or simply beautiful things made extraordinary by light, this is much more than salvaged glass—it is over 205 square feet of history waiting for its next building.

Era
Mid-20th Century / Postwar Modernist Era

Style
Mid-Century Modern Ecclesiastical / Sacred Modernism / Abstract Figurative

Technique
Dalle de verre, French for “slab of glass,” also known as faceted glass. Unlike traditional stained glass assembled from thin sheets joined with lead, dalle de verre uses substantial pieces of colored glass surrounded by a heavier cementitious or epoxy matrix. Selected glass edges are chipped and faceted, producing multiple surfaces that capture and refract light. The Stained Glass Association of America describes the resulting effect as mosaic-like fields of pure color and identifies dalle de verre as an important medium for monumental window walls and Modernist architecture.

Tools Used
Glass hammer and shaping tools for cutting and faceting thick slab glass, layout patterns and molds for arranging the composition, mixing and finishing tools for the surrounding matrix, and hand tools for assembling the individual architectural panels.

History
Modern dalle de verre was pioneered in France, with Auguste Labouret developing the technique in the early 1930s. After World War II, its brilliant color and suitability for monumental architectural compositions helped make faceted glass an important feature of Modernist churches in Europe and North America.

Manufacturer / Maker
Maker: Unknown.

Measurements
22" W x 42" T per panel
32 architectural panels total
Approximately 205.3 square feet total

Suggested Weight
Approximately 55–75 lbs. per panel. Due to variations in glass thickness and matrix construction, actual weight should be confirmed before transportation or installation.

Suggested Shipping Package Dimension
Custom crating and dedicated freight transportation recommended. Because this collection consists of 32 heavy architectural panels, professional art-glass handling and vertical pallet or rack transport are strongly recommended rather than conventional parcel shipping. Please contact RBX directly for custom freight shipping options.

Music
Olivier Messiaen — sacred organ and choral works. Few musical companions seem more appropriate for an artwork built around the transformation of a dark architectural wall into brilliant color and light.

Price
Price: $17,895 for the complete 32-panel collection

Item Number : P17428

Category : Stained

Brand : Unknown