De la couleur à la lumière : Alfred Manessier et le vitrail contemporain au XXe siècle

In 2023, the town of Abbeville celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the completion of the stained-glass windows at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, created between 1982 and 1993 by Alfred Manessier (1911–1993), a leading figure in French abstract art. It also marked the thirtieth anniversary of the artist’s death, having passed away suddenly in 1993. The windows designed by Manessier in collaboration with the Lorin workshops in Chartres for the church in Abbeville represent the pinnacle of his work in the field of stained glass.

As part of this dual commemoration, the Heritage Department of the town of Abbeville organised two days of seminars and talks dedicated to Alfred Manessier’s stained-glass works and the evolution of the art of stained glass in the 20th century. Academics, researchers, curators and master glassmakers shared insights into their work and research with the general public. This volume, which brings together their contributions, presents the history of modern stained glass, the major technical developments in the craft of master glassmaking, the seminal collaborations between artists and workshops, and the way in which Manessier, and subsequently the Second School of Paris, helped to reinvent sacred light in 20th-century Christian art.