| Reverse glass painting is the art of painting | | | | art form. |
| an image on the reverse side of a piece of | | | | |
| glass or glass object so that the image can | | | | In the early 19th century the art form spread |
| be viewed from the unpainted side. It has | | | | to other areas and appeared in the Middle |
| been done since early in the sixteenth | | | | East and West Africa. Areas where Islam |
| century in Europe, and was known in China | | | | flourished produced many reverse glass |
| during the early 18th century. | | | | paintings. These paintings depicted scenes |
| | | | from Old Testament stories, stories and |
| This style of painting has been used for | | | | quotations from the Qu'ran. |
| religious art, abstract art, clock faces, | | | | |
| realistic landscapes, and scenes with people | | | | The first documentation of reverse glass |
| and portraits. It is a very exacting art | | | | painting in China is in the writings of some |
| form, especially when done as a realistic | | | | Jesuit missionaries stationed there in the |
| painting. The image is actually painted in | | | | middle of the 18th century. Some say that it |
| reverse order on the glass. The finishing | | | | was the missionaries themselves that |
| details of the painting must be put on the | | | | introduced the art in China, but art |
| glass first, and must be done accurately as | | | | historians doubt that. The missionaries wrote |
| this is immediately covered with the next | | | | about various art forms known in China when |
| phase of the painting. So for a portrait | | | | they arrived, and reverse glass painting was |
| reverse glass painting, the pupil of the eye | | | | already being done in China upon their |
| would be painted first, then the eye, and so | | | | arrival. The exact time when the art form |
| on in reverse order, finishing with the | | | | reached China is not documented in any known |
| background. When the glass is turned over, | | | | Chinese art history literature. There is |
| the actual intended image is viewed from the | | | | evidence that Chinese glass painting was |
| unpainted side. Unlike stained glass, these | | | | never considered a serious form of art by the |
| paintings are meant to be mounted on a wall | | | | Chinese themselves. Glass paintings used in |
| with light shown on them, instead of light | | | | China were usually located in restaurants or |
| going through them. | | | | other public places and seldom in homes of |
| | | | the Chinese themselves. Much of it was also |
| As best as art historians can determine, | | | | done for sale to tourists and foreigners. |
| reverse glass painting evolved in Austria, | | | | |
| the Black Forest region, and Romania in | | | | With the innovations of photography and forms |
| central Europe. And northern Spain, central | | | | of printing in the middle of the 19th |
| and southern Italy in southern Europe. These | | | | century, glass painting began to decline. |
| paintings were generally created in small | | | | There has been a recent resurgence in the art |
| village family workshops, with fewer | | | | form, and reverse glass paintings are now |
| paintings produced by larger shops in large | | | | being done in China, India and the world |
| cities. Many of the images painted were of | | | | over. |
| religious subjects in the beginning of the | | | | |