The Glass Wall

Notice of Upcoming Content and Access Change

The Museum is working on the future of our online collections access. A new version will be available later in 2023. During this transition period, the current version of the Collections Browser may have reduced functionality and data may be not be updated. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For any questions or concerns, please contact us.

What is AAT?

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) (r) is a structured vocabulary for generic concepts related to art and architecture. It was developed by The Getty Research Institute to help research institutions become consistent in the terminology they use.Learn More

Object Name: 
Stained Glass
Title: 
The Glass Wall
Place Made: 
Accession Number: 
99.2.4
Dimensions: 
Overall H: 630 cm, W: 2240 cm
Location: 
Not on Display
Date: 
1998
Credit Line: 
Purchased with funds from the Arthur Rubloff Residuary Trust
Web Description: 
Trained as a painter, Brian Clarke (b. 1953) is well known for the architectural stained glass he has designed for secular and sacred buildings around the world. Through his painterly use of color and light, Clarke designs distinctive stained glass walls that introduce energy and vitality into the architectural spaces they inhabit. The Glass Wall, which measures more than 1,000 square feet, is dedicated to the late Linda McCartney, wife of the musician Paul McCartney. She was Clarke’s longtime friend and a distinguished photographer with whom he worked. The repeating fleur-de-lis motif is based on the lily, a flower that for centuries has served as a symbol of royalty. The abstract fields of color are inspired by the sky and water. Clarke chose this theme to reflect Linda McCartney’s love of lilies and his own interest in the colors and symbolism of British heraldry.
Category: 
Primary Description: 
Stained sheet glass blown and cut; aluminum came, steel cable; assembled; seven large panels, each panel made up of 35 individual panes with metal supports.
Title Unknown (Tony Shafrazi Gallery)
Venue(s)
Tony Shafrazi Gallery 1999-06-12 through 1999-09-12
CTbK_OTO KATO N3KYCTBO (2014) illustrated, p. 89, top right; BIB# 142483
Glass: A Short History (Smithsonian Books edition) (2012) illustrated, pp. 116-117; BIB# 130360
Glass: A Short History (The British Museum edition) (2012) illustrated, pp.116-117; BIB# 135965
Brian Clarke: life and death (2010) illustrated, p. 23; related materials: pp. 12-23, back flap; BIB# 127054
Contemporary Glass Sculptures and Panels: Selections from the Corning Museum of Glass (2008) illustrated, p. 6, 19, 166-167 (fig. 29, plate 59); BIB# 107478
Stained glass : from its origins to the present (2003) illustrated, p. 269; BIB# 75503
A Conversation with Tina Oldknow (2002) p. 7; BIB# AI53874
Wall Leads Way to Glass Museum Riches (2000-03-25) Section C;
The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 1999 (2000) pp. 28-29; BIB# AI95008
The Corning Museum of Glass: A Decade of Glass Collecting 1990-1999 (2000) illustrated, pp. 84-85, #145; BIB# 65446
Title Unknown (Crafts Magazine) (2000) p. 16;
Recent Important Acquisitions, 42 (2000) illustrated, pp. 212-213, fig. 61; BIB# AI49427
Brian Clarke, 'The Glass Wall (Dedicated to Linda McCartney)' (1998-07-31)
Architectural Artist Exhibits in SoHo (1998-07-08)