Medieval and Renaissance Stained Glass in the Victoria and Albert Museum

This beautifully illustrated book presents a treasury of medieval and Renaissance stained glass. With its boldly delineated forms and vibrant colours, stained glass has a visual impact matched by few other forms of art. Brilliantly illuminating the interior of many of the greatest Gothic cathedrals, stained and painted glass was also used to decorate domestic spaces, and for many it exemplifies the Middle Ages. In both a literal and visual sense it throws light on the beliefs and images, sacred and secular, which informed the medieval world. More than 100 panels form the V&A's exceptional collection are illustrated here, each one supported by a commentary and bibliography, making the book an invaluable resource for students of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a feast for the yes for anyone interest in the history of art and design.

Paul Williamson is Keeper of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass at the V&A. He is the author of many books and articles, including European Sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A Publications 1996) and, most recently, Netherlandish Sculpture 1450-1550 (V&A Publications 2002). He is co-editor, with Richard Marks, of the catalogue accompanying the exhibition Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547 (forthcoming from V&A Publications in September 2003).