Vanadium Window
Object number2000.85.1
Manufacturer
Rudy Brothers Company
(founded 1894)
Datec. 1912
MediumOpalescent glass; Lead
Credit LineGift of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
DescriptionStained glass window that features three figures rendered in multiple layers of colored glass with finely painted faces.DimensionsHeight x Width: 10 × 9 ft. (304.8 × 274.3 cm)Label TextThe angel that centers this window holds aloft a sign reading “Vanadium.” Designed in 1912, the window served as the architectural focus of the Vanadium Building, which still stands at the corner of Meyran and Forbes in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Created in the heyday of the American Opalescent pictorial style, the design in the window is produced using the color, textures, and layering of different styles of glass. Unlike medieval glass, paint is used sparingly only on the face, arms, and hands of the figures. The window is an exceptional example of the Rudy Studio’s work, notable for its size, the rendering of the figures, the layering and texture of the glass, and as an example of secular (as opposed to religious) work. The Rudy brothers came to Pittsburgh in 1894 to create windows for H.J. Heinz’s home and factory. Their studio, sited in the East End of the city, flourished. Today Rudy windows can still be found throughout this region, as well as in the East and Midwest.
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On view
E.E. Codman
Flannery Bolt Company
1984