Joseph Nuttgens - Stained Glass Artist

Joseph Ambrose Nuttgens studied at the Central School of Art and the Royal College of Art. After teaching in schools, art colleges and at Wormwood Scrubs Prison, he came back to stained glass through working for Patrick Reyntiens as manager of his studio between 1978 – 82, involved mainly on John Piper's windows for Robinson College, Cambridge, and the Benjamin Britten Memorial in Aldeburgh Church. Later, in his own studio, he made the John Betjaman Memorial window for Farnborough Church (Berks) to John Piper's design. Since 1982 he has designed and made many stained glass windows – for large church projects, including restorations, for schools, offices, as screens for interiors and for intimate house windows.

In 1982, when new continental and American influences began to affect stained glass, Joseph Nuttgens re-established The Stained Glass Studio and broadened the range of work to include a more architectural approach, designing stained glass for interiors and houses and experimenting with glass and steel sheet with artificial light to form the basis of a series of sculptures and panels for interiors.

As an artist, Joseph Nuttgens aims to create windows which survive the test of architecture and which are sympathetic to situation and history, whether new architecture or medieval church, and which should be appropriate to the light and atmosphere of the building. Good stained glass, though powerful, can also be intimate and modest; it can provide a focal point or create a discreet interior light. The design of stained glass must be given priority, but the technical standards for stained glass, both for ancient and new building, are very high so the main part of the studio is concerned with glass cutting, firing, etching, glazing etc. Stained glass can be fitted into ancient stonework, new wood or metal frames or into double glazed units and The Stained Glass Studio employs a skilled specialist for this part of the work.

Many of his most important works are listed on the Notable Works page.