Stained glass, which flowered with Gothic architecture, the climactic era ofMiddle Ages art, conveyed to the faithful theological messages encoded in light, aswell as protecting sacred places from thee elements, made visible the true sun, thatis, the light understood as seen consubstantial with God. The splendid light andbrilliance radiating from the gem-like glass fragments to all intends and purposesmade visible the new Jerusalem on earth. This stained glass with bound formed anexus for the aesthetics and theology of the Middle Ages was to change throughtime and varied ways.Stained glass, overshadowed by painting from the Renaissance till the 18thcentury, came into prominence in the 19th century with the appearance of theEnglish pre-Raphaelite school, the beginnings of art nouveau style, and therestoration of stained glass in French Gothic churches in which Viollet le Ducplayed a central role. Artists such as John Ruskin in the U.K., John la Farge andLouis Comport Tiffany in the U.S. had a great influence on the development of the19th century stained glass, resurrecting stained glass from the lowly status ofcommercial art, and reuniting stained glass decoration with architecture through artnouveau. Due to their efforts, the distinct character of stained glass was restored butits intrinsic religious value in the context of historic church architecture wascompromised.In the 19th century the relation between the church and the artist was not as close as during the Middle Ages or the Renaissance period. Secular artists working withreligious themes had few opportunity to furnish works for churches. Churches, intheir turn, were filled with archaic works following the dictates and styles of the pastand supported academism in religious art. But at the beginning of the 20th century anew wind of reform began to blow through the decadence of church art. As a resultmainly of the reformers in Germany and France, the artists of Europe and the U.S.created stained glass works that reflected the new modern aesthetic and once againrestored the place of stained glass in modern churches through its incorporation intoarchitecture.