Pierre Fourmaintraux: the man who designed St Chad’s windows
Pierre who? Fourmaintraux worked for Whitefriars Glass (J. Powell & Sons) from the late 1950's and during the 60's. He and his wife, Rachel Winslow, an Englishwoman, both died in 1974. He was 78. He was born in 1896, the son of Gabriel, a well known ceramicist. Fourmaintraux was French - Francois Pierre, but always called Pierre – from Metz, in France. He was one of Britain’s leading artists in dalle de verre stained glass windows, usually in bold abstract designs.
‘Dalle’ is French for slab or tile. The window is made from by assembling small pieces of glass, about one inch (22mm) thick, which have been carefully chipped and shaped with a tungsten hammer, before they are set in concrete. Traditional stained glass is set in lead. The concrete is reinforced, vibrated and cured to make a resilient and secure frame for the glass. This technique is sometimes called ‘faceted’ glass. The effect, as you can see at St Chad’s, is to create window panels of extraordinary brilliance and colour.
Whitefriars was a leading firm of church window designers in the late 50s and 1960s.They also sold very fine studio glassware. Many of their windows are identified with a small image of a hooded friar, usually in a bottom corner of the window. Fourmaintraux often added his initials P F near the friar. Sadly, Whitefriars closed in 1980.
Another famous British designer in dalle de verre was Dom Charles Norris, a Benedictine monk at Buckfast Abbey. He was taught some techniques from Fourmaintraux at Whitefriars. Norris created many dalle de verre windows in the Buckfast studio, which closed after Norris died in 2003.
In the north west, there are Fourmaintraux windows at St Raphael’s closed RC church Millbrook, Stalybridge; St Barnabas’s, Lovely Lane, Warrington; and in St Helens Crematorium. St Jude’s, Mesnes, Wigan, has a wonderful set of windows designed by Robin Riley in 1964. One of the most famous set is in the 110m tower of St Joseph in Le Havre, France. They were designed by Marguerite Hure who created a tube of Intense, dazzling colour which changes through the day as the sun moves.
And there’s St Chad’s, of course.
Dalle de verre is unfashionable today although its admirers are growing. Sometimes the windows may be prone to water ingress as the resin expands making the glass bulge. This happens usually when resin, rather than concrete, has been used. Dalle de verre windows are still widely used in the USA and in Continental Europe. The wheel of fashion will doubtless revolve: St Chad’s may expect more enthusiastic visitors.
Pierre who? Fourmaintraux worked for Whitefriars Glass (J. Powell & Sons) from the late 1950's and during the 60's. He and his wife, Rachel Winslow, an Englishwoman, both died in 1974. He was 78. He was born in 1896, the son of Gabriel, a well known ceramicist. Fourmaintraux was French - Francois Pierre, but always called Pierre – from Metz, in France. He was one of Britain’s leading artists in dalle de verre stained glass windows, usually in bold abstract designs.
‘Dalle’ is French for slab or tile. The window is made from by assembling small pieces of glass, about one inch (22mm) thick, which have been carefully chipped and shaped with a tungsten hammer, before they are set in concrete. Traditional stained glass is set in lead. The concrete is reinforced, vibrated and cured to make a resilient and secure frame for the glass. This technique is sometimes called ‘faceted’ glass. The effect, as you can see at St Chad’s, is to create window panels of extraordinary brilliance and colour.
Whitefriars was a leading firm of church window designers in the late 50s and 1960s.They also sold very fine studio glassware. Many of their windows are identified with a small image of a hooded friar, usually in a bottom corner of the window. Fourmaintraux often added his initials P F near the friar. Sadly, Whitefriars closed in 1980.
Another famous British designer in dalle de verre was Dom Charles Norris, a Benedictine monk at Buckfast Abbey. He was taught some techniques from Fourmaintraux at Whitefriars. Norris created many dalle de verre windows in the Buckfast studio, which closed after Norris died in 2003.
In the north west, there are Fourmaintraux windows at St Raphael’s closed RC church Millbrook, Stalybridge; St Barnabas’s, Lovely Lane, Warrington; and in St Helens Crematorium. St Jude’s, Mesnes, Wigan, has a wonderful set of windows designed by Robin Riley in 1964. One of the most famous set is in the 110m tower of St Joseph in Le Havre, France. They were designed by Marguerite Hure who created a tube of Intense, dazzling colour which changes through the day as the sun moves.
And there’s St Chad’s, of course.
Dalle de verre is unfashionable today although its admirers are growing. Sometimes the windows may be prone to water ingress as the resin expands making the glass bulge. This happens usually when resin, rather than concrete, has been used. Dalle de verre windows are still widely used in the USA and in Continental Europe. The wheel of fashion will doubtless revolve: St Chad’s may expect more enthusiastic visitors.