Reverse Glass Painting (Hinterglasmalerei)

Since the Middle of the 18th century the folk art of reverse glass painting was favored by the Church and the nobility throughout Central Europe. It was popular in the area of Bavaria, Germany by the mid 19th century. By 1945,  the method known as Hinterglasmalerei in Germany and considered an art form of the people, was nearly gone. It was complex, as the painter would not really know the outcome until finished. To see it best, light needed to be directed towards it. It was done by applying oil or acrylic paint to a piece of glass then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image. Usually hung on a wall in Amana, these treasured  pictures are framed in good wood to last and admired for generations.