Pascal Rieu, stained-glass artist and painter of light

At the time, Pascal was living in Paris’s 20th arrondissement and scouting out workshops across the capital. He settled on Marc Grossriether’s Mise au Verre workshop near Pigalle, in a neighbourhood he particularly liked. The man was affable and his creations were accessible, so they hit it off. He felt that the choice of master was just as important as the choice of craft for a training programme lasting several months. Over the course of ten months, he learnt the fundamentals and obtained his CAP in Glass Arts and Techniques, specialising in stained glass. It was a gamble: the Île-de-France region funded part of the training, while Pascal covered the rest of the costs, including the purchase of his first kiln, with his savings. In October 2013, he founded L’Artisan du Vitrail in Paris. Recognition soon followed in the form of the Tremplin Prize at the Artisanales de Chartres in 2014 and the Young Talent Prize at the Carrousel des Métiers d’Art et de la Création in 2015. To those seeking a career change who now come through his door, he offers the same advice: think carefully about the trade, and then devote yourself to it wholeheartedly. The rest will follow gradually.

Every project begins with a conversation. Pascal Rieu asks plenty of questions, meets with his clients several times, observes their interiors and asks about their favourite colours and the countries they have travelled to. The stained-glass window must harmonise with the home in which it will be installed, and this dialogue enables the craftsman to gain an understanding of the lives of those who commission it. He produces two or three designs: one that faithfully reflects the initial request and one or two that are open to unexpected possibilities. Eight times out of ten, the commission leans towards abstraction and Art Deco, whose geometric elegance transcends passing fashions. The other proposals offer clients a surprise and give the craftsman the pleasure of experimenting with different techniques and styles. His ideal project can be summed up in two words spoken by a client: carte blanche. One client once burst into tears while the work was being installed. ‘I was simply overwhelmed with emotion,’ she confided afterwards.

His largest stained-glass window is approximately 3.5 metres high and 1.4 metres wide. Named La Ligérienne, it illuminates a grand residence on the banks of the Loire, near Tours. The owners dreamt of a Mucha. Pascal Rieu sets out his approach: he does not produce copies of the work of other artists, whether famous or unknown. However, he may draw inspiration from the masters to create his own work. Following extensive research into illustrations and documentation devoted to the Czech poster artist, an original Art Nouveau composition emerged – the piece that demanded the most energy and time from him. For the manor house, he was given carte blanche to create two stained-glass windows, including Le Corbeau. Elsewhere, Keith 2025 pays homage to the colourful energy of Keith Haring; Tetris combines blue, yellow and orange and overlooks an inner courtyard; and 1935 brings together painted glass and two sandblasted panels in an orange-coloured partition wall. The same aim prevails from one room to the next: to juggle styles to best suit each space.

Over the centuries, little has changed in terms of the craft and technique. In the traditional technique inherited from the Middle Ages, each piece of glass is cut by hand and set into lead profiles. Then, each junction is soldered on both sides before installation. Only the cutting tools have evolved. In the early 20th century, Louis Comfort Tiffany popularised an alternative approach that allowed for three-dimensional stained glass, giving rise to his famous lamps. This was followed by cement-bonded glass panels, which adorned churches rebuilt after the Second World War, and then gemmail. Pascal Rieu works with both lead came and the Tiffany method, placing great emphasis on painting, enamels, and grisaille. He has also recently started using sandblasting to engrave the glass. “Light passes through the glass. Depending on the season and time of day, the stained-glass window comes to life. It is a magical material, much like precious stones.”

Pascal Rieu moved to Tours in 2020 after spending three years in Montélimar, in his native Rhône Valley. The region boasts a rich heritage, and restoration is playing an increasingly important role there. Private individuals entrust him with the stained-glass windows they wish to preserve, while local councils entrust him with those in their churches. A couple from Canada, who are restoring a local château and sharing their work on social media, appointed him as the property’s stained-glass artist, and other château owners have followed suit. Since setting up his workshop, Pascal has also opened its doors every spring for the European Days of Artistic Crafts, featuring demonstrations of tools and techniques. At Azay-le-Rideau Castle, a partnership renewed for the third time brings two school classes to the castle every year to discover the heritage and the crafts that bring it to life. He is proud to be an artisan: the commission provides a framework within which he has found his freedom.

Each of his creations bears his signature and the year. This approach is exemplified in one of his recent pieces: a small stained-glass window for a funeral chapel, created through an extended dialogue with his client. Pascal Rieu sees it as a work destined to endure, much like the Roman pottery that the earth reveals centuries later. ‘This stained-glass window will outlast eras, decades, perhaps even centuries.’ Light, however, remains his guiding light.

From 29 October to 1 November 2026, the International Cultural Heritage Fair at the Carrousel du Louvre will be themed ‘Heritage in Light’. Pascal Rieu will unveil a brand-new creation there: a free-form, backlit sign drawing on his influences and playful references where LED lighting will cause the glass to pulse in time to rhythmic beats.