The stained-glass The Risen Christ in the St Isaac’s altar window is executed in the Italian Renaissance style, its area being 28,5 sq.m. It is among the largest stained-glass windows in Europe.
Leo von Klentse, a Bavarian architect, supervised the work on the stained-glass window and developed an original design for its frame. He personally petitioned to his patron Ludwig I, king of Bavaria, for permission to produce the stained glass in Munich and received his consent.
The design for the stained-glass window was altered more than once before the final version was produced by the painter Henry von Guess. In keeping with the traditions of an academic school, it features prominently the so-called “academic triple colour scheme” – the combination of red, blue and white-yellow tones. Some of its details were painted with special paints, then fired and mechanically treated.
Its incredibly beautiful, vivid, delicate and fresh colours are for the most part due to the skills of the craftsmen from the Munich firm, in particular to M. Einmiller, one of Europe’s best mosaic artists. This wonderful master had glass available in over 100 colours and tones. He made use of multilayered glass and a glass that was treated with special dyes.
The stained-glass window is made up of two metallic frames affixed by clamps. A thick mirror glass plate is set into the outer frame, while the inner one holds the stained-glass itself composed of coloured semitransparent glass pieces held together with lead solder.
