Thomas Glazier of

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

( fl. 1386–1427) was a master glazier active in England during the late 14th and early 15th century; he is one of the earliest identifiable

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

artists, and is considered a leading proponent of the

International Gothic International Gothic is a period of Gothic art that began in Burgundy, France, and northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. It then spread very widely across Western Europe, hence the name for the period, which was introduced by the ...

style.Marks, R. ''Stained Glass in England during the Middle Ages'', Routledge, 1993, p. 178.

Biography, works

Glazier's workshops were based in Oxford, and he was clearly an important figure in the town; he is recorded in New College's Steward's Book as being regularly invited to dine with the Warden and Fellows.
Glazier's Magnificent Seven
', ''The Oxford Times'', 08-02-08. Although we have some record of his professional activities (and appearance; see below) almost nothing is known of his personal life, other than that he was married.Matthew, H. ''et al.'' (eds.) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 455. Glazier is particularly notable for his early adoption of elements of the emerging International Gothic style in his work: he may have been influenced by his contacts with European artists through

William of Wykeham William of Wykeham (; 1320 or 1324 – 27 September 1404) was Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England. He founded New College, Oxford, and New College School in 1379, and founded Winchester College in 1382. He was also the clerk of ...

and his circle.Marks, p. 46. His work is characterised by sophisticated draughtsmanship and placement of figures, and also by its remarkable stylistic development, indicating that such artists were open to absorbing new ideas during the course of their careers.Marks, p. 46. Along with the work of John Thornton of

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, Glazier's style was highly influential. It is possible that Robert Lyen, who made windows for

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...

, was his

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...

. Glazier's work survives in the chapels of

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

and of

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

. The latter scheme contains an 1822 copy of a self-portrait included in the original east window: this depicts him kneeling in prayer, wearing a long

gown A gown, from the Latin word, ''gunna'', is a usually loose outer garment from knee-to-full-length worn by people of both sexes in Europe from the Early Middle Ages to the 17th century, and continuing today in certain professions; later, the t ...

and with a short, forked beard of the sort fashionable in the late 14th century. There is a panel probably executed by him in the church of

Thenford Thenford is a village and civil parish about northwest of the market town of Brackley in West Northamptonshire, England, and east of Banbury in nearby Oxfordshire. The 2001 Census recorded the parish population as 74. At the 2011 Census the ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, as well as windows in

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

and the chapel of

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 126 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glazier, Thomas 14th-century English people Artists from Oxford British stained glass artists and manufacturers People associated with New College, Oxford