The art of stained glass came into existence during the first centuries of the Dark Ages in Europe, with the spread of Christianity and the construction of the first cathedrals.
These beautiful glass windows, which would one day soar to dizzying heights and tremendous dimensions, gripped the people's imagination and helped lead them into the fold. With vivid color and constantly improving art and technique these glass pictures illustrated Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments
It can be argued that there has never been a platform for artistic expression as large and as extensive as the cathedrals of the Middle Ages.
Stained glass artists wandered throughout Europe, creating monumental stained glass windows with glass that they themselves produced in situ, with secrets of color and texture that they took with them to the grave.
Only today can the modern glass industry, with its great technological advantages succeed in replicating some of the hues that had disappeared in the mists of time.
Styles have also changed since the Middle Ages, when the sole repository of academic and artistic knowledge was the Church and the only permitted subjects were those sanctioned by orthodox Christianity.
Eventually stained glass emerged from the church - into the mansions of the aristocracy and rich merchant class, and to the public buildings that they built. Classical and secular art began to appear in glass, while developments in stained glass mirrored the history of Europe.
Changes in religion, political reforms, new forms of architecture and many wars changed the approach to the art or destroyed irreplaceable treasures. Use of stained glass declined.
It is in our time that we are witnessing a great Renaissance in this ancient art form. Modern art has appeared in stained glass design, and new artistic concepts, liberating and exciting have found their expression in it. New technologies allow contemporary artists to experiment with original artistic visions, and creations in glass that express sensations of space and freedom find their place in modern architecture.
It is against that background that Robert Nechin works - with an understanding of the history and tradition of his art - and with the enthusiasm that comes from understanding the lessons of modern art and the possibilities it presents. | 
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