| The quality of the paintings of the glass | | | | |
| made the Germans' noteworthy. The Germany | | | | A deep red, or ruby, glass was made in the |
| craftsmen were able to successfully engrave | | | | early and mid-nineteenth century, and cut in |
| natural rock-crystal adapt that to their | | | | the manner of 150 years earlier. It was |
| skill to glass setting a new standard of | | | | exported and proved highly popular in |
| glass-making. And Netherland made the | | | | England; much of it was of clear glass |
| Venetian type of glass in the seventeenth and | | | | 'flashed' with a thin coating of red cut |
| eighteenth centuries. They excelled in glass | | | | through with scenes of stag hunting and views |
| decorations. | | | | of German spas. |
| | | | |
| Germany | | | | Holland |
| | | | |
| The hold of the Venetians on the markets of | | | | Glass of Venetian type was made in the |
| Europe was a strong one, and continual | | | | Netherlands in the seventeenth and eighteenth |
| efforts were made to break it in all the | | | | centuries, but it was in the decoration of |
| countries concerned. The Germans were skilled | | | | glass that the Dutch excelled. Like the |
| at enameling their glass, but it was of | | | | Germans, they ornamented much of their output |
| Venetian type and only the quality of the | | | | with cutting on the wheel, but a specialty |
| painting makes it noteworthy. | | | | was engraving with a diamond which was often |
| | | | done so finely that the decoration can be |
| Late in the seventeenth century they managed | | | | seen only when the light falls across it. |
| to develop a heavy type of crystal glass to | | | | |
| which they applied cutting on the wheel; a | | | | There are specimens of diamond engraving in |
| revolving fine grindstone against which the | | | | the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, dated 1600 and |
| article was held for pattern -malting. | | | | 1604, and similar work was done throughout |
| | | | the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The |
| This was a method first used in ancient times | | | | names of Frans Greenwood (a Dutchman in spite |
| by lapidaries in the forming of gemstones, | | | | of his English surname) and David Wolff are |
| but had been employed also by the Roman | | | | the best known of those who did this delicate |
| glassmakers notably, as mentioned above, in | | | | work. Some of the surviving examples are |
| the Portland Vase. | | | | signed and dated, but many bear no indication |
| | | | of artist or of when they were executed. Some |
| The German craftsmen had already achieved | | | | of the late eighteenth-century engravings |
| success in engraving natural rock crystal, | | | | were on English glasses of the period, which |
| which was then mounted elaborately in gold | | | | were then being imported into Holland. |
| set with gems, and it was not a difficult | | | | |
| step to adapt their skill to glass. The most | | | | At the end of the eighteenth century an |
| famous of these engraving establishments were | | | | artist named Zeuner, of whom remarkably |
| in Berlin, Petersdorf in Silesia (now | | | | little is known in the way of personal |
| Poland), and Cassel. | | | | details, executed a number of paintings on |
| | | | glass. These were done in an unusual manner, |
| Their successors, but the glasswares of | | | | with gold and silver leaf laid on the back of |
| Silesia and Bohemia continued to be made | | | | the glass which was then scratched through |
| throughout the eighteenth century did not | | | | and filled with black paint. |
| equal the fine workmanship of the earlier | | | | |
| craftsmen. | | | | The skies in outdoor scenes were painted in |
| | | | natural colors, and the effect is striking |
| A milky-white glass, often decorated in | | | | and decorative. Some of his surviving works |
| enamel colors, was very popular and much of | | | | are of views in Amsterdam, and a small pane! |
| this has survived. It can be confused with | | | | in the Victoria and Albert Museum shows a |
| the rare white Bristol product by the | | | | view of the Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, |
| inexperienced, but is seen to be commonplace | | | | in about 1780. |
| when compared closely. | | | | |