Catalog No. AE543
Circa: Late 19th century
Price: Sold
Orientation: Vertical
Condition: Excellent
Provenance: Paris, France
Dimensions: Overall sizeis 84.25" wide X 82 1/2" tall including four separate oak frames

Description: Age of Elegance specializes in Antique American Stained Glass. Most European windows do not have the appeal that great American windows do. On rare occasion something like this landscape set from Paris grabs my attention. Speaking as a collector, and not as a dealer, this set is exceptional.

The scene is hand painted, the lower right window bears the signature and city of the artist: "Paul Givanola.Paris".

Monsieur Givanola's artistic skill grants the observer the perspective of standing on the bank of a thriving pond. Through his talented brush strokes it is possible to achieve a virtual sense of being outdoors. The experience for me is both comforting and tangible.

Over the years I have developed personal criteria that I use to judge stained glass. A question I tend to ask is whether a window's appeal hold up over time. The answer to that question regarding this set of windows is yes. In my opinion, the appeal of this window will not diminish as time goes by. And further, I believe that living with this window over time will bring an even greater degree of appreciation.

The condition is remarkably fine. Upon close examination, I can find not a single cracked or replaced pane anywhere. The enamels and glass stains applied in this work were fired onto each pane of glass before the individual panels were leaded together. The firing process "fixed" the colors permanently to the glass. It is amazing to see such vibrancy of color and stability of paint more than a century later.