Pierre Fourmaintraux
Francois Pierre Fourmaintraux | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1896 Metz, France |
| Died | 1974 |
| Occupation | Glass artist |
| Known for | Pioneering the dalle de verre method in the United Kingdom; training Dom Charles Norris |
Francois Pierre Fourmaintraux (commonly referred to as Pierre) (1896–1974) was a renowned glass artist recognized for pioneering the dalle de verre method in the United Kingdom and for guiding prominent figures such as Dom Charles Norris in this craft.
Personal life
Pierre was born in Metz, France, in 1896. Later, he moved to the UK where he married the English impressionist painter Rachel Winslow (1880–1974) and established his home in Harrow. He retired from his professional career in 1969 and died at the age of 78 in 1974.
Career
Fourmaintraux began his artistic journey creating traditional leaded stained glass in France. After World War II, he transitioned to working with dalle de verre and joined the British firm James Powell and Sons, which later became Whitefriars Glass. He was instrumental in introducing this French slab glass technique to the British audience. Starting in 1956, he took on the role of chief designer at Powell’s for slab glass and abstract window projects. His initial dalle de verre commission in the UK consisted of two modest windows for St Peter's church in Reigate. Moreover, he played a key role in instructing Dom Charles Norris, who became a leading practitioner of dalle de verre. Whitefriars identified their glasswork with a hooded friar emblem, and Fourmaintraux personalized his pieces by adding his initials PF alongside this mark.
Notable buildings
St Raphael the Archangel, Millbrook, Stalybridge
This Grade II listed church, crafted by Edward J Massey between 1961 and 1963, is recognized by Historic England for its striking dalle de verre installation characterized by geometric solidity and a prominent circular dome. The building features Fourmaintraux’s expansive figurative dalle de verre panel depicting Tobias alongside the Archangel, serving as a prime example of 1960s ecclesiastical glass art that enhances the church’s interior environment.
English Heritage has acknowledged this screen as an early figurative representation within 1960s ecclesiastical glasswork that predates the stained glass at Liverpool Cathedral, thus contributing significantly to the church's artistic heritage. Despite facing demolition threats in 2011, the church was preserved and awarded Grade II protection.
Christ Church, Frankpledge Road, Coventry
Designed by Alfred H Gardner and listed as Grade II, this church contains 22 square dalle de verre panels created by Fourmaintraux that narrate scenes from Christ’s life. Historic England commends the vivid interplay of purple and gold glass against natural timber framing, noting its uncommon visual richness for the era.
Other works
Robert Proctor, Senior Lecturer in Architecture at Bath University, identifies several important commissions by Fourmaintraux including windows for:
- St Augustine, Manchester
- St Aiden, East Acton, London – featuring six martyr representations
- English Martyrs Church, Horley – stations of the cross series
Additional notable projects encompass:
- Hyde Park Chapel on Exhibition Road, London
- Hall of Memory in Wellington, New Zealand (1964)
- Lumen Reformed Church – depicting The Resurrection
- St Peter’s Church, Bristol
- St Barnabas’s Church on Lovely Lane, Pewsey, Warrington (1963)
- St Chad's Church in Leasowe
- St George's Church located in Britwell
- St Raphael’s Church in Yeading, London
- St Clements Church in Ewell – featuring eight windows illustrating the Beatitudes
- St Helens Crematorium Chapel in Merseyside – adorned with dalle de verre windows
Museums and preservation
In 2008, the Museum of London transferred the Whitefriars Collection—comprising 1,800 cartoons (preparatory drawings)—to the Rakow Library at the Corning Museum of Glass. With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, efforts were made to conserve, digitize, and facilitate access to this archive. Among these preserved materials are cartoons related to Fourmaintraux’s work for St. Peter’s Church in Lawrence Weston, Bristol, as well as for a war memorial located in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London holds pen-and-ink with watercolour sketches by Fourmaintraux for an abstract dalle de verre window designed for Sheffield’s 'Golden Ball' public house along with designs for fifteen small abstract stained-glass panels installed at Narberth Crematorium near Porthcawl.