The stained glass windows of the Crypt of the Sagrada Familia by Gaudí, manufactured in 1940, have their direct origin in the original drawings of Darius Vilàs, made between 1890 and 1930. These works on paper were not simple preparatory studies, but the artistic seed that was transformed into glass and light, becoming authentic stained glass windows that today illuminate the temple. They are a unique testimony of the collaboration between a stained glass artist and the master Antoni Gaudí, showing how Vilàs’ vision was integrated into the monumental modernist project.
Vilàs’ stained glass presents a floral and geometric design that reflects the chromatic richness of Modernisme. The fragmented petals and intertwined forms evoke the effect of the trencadís and mosaic so characteristic of Gaudí. The ochers and reds in the center of the flower, surrounded by greens and blues, anticipated the chromatic harmony that the glass would eventually materialize. The fluidity of the lines shows that these drawings were already a work of art, conceived to become light.
The original drawings by Darius Vilàs are priceless documents, as they gave life to the stained glass windows of the Crypt of the Sagrada Familia. They are the seed of light, the master plan that allowed, decades later, the stained glass workshops to turn his sketches into the jewels that today adorn the temple, paying homage to both Vilàs’ vision and Gaudí’s grandiose conception.