Revolutions in chemistry and manufacturing at the end of the 19th century brought the possibility for glassmakers to produce glass in a wide range of vivid colors, mixtures of colors and textures.  Powdered gold, silver and other metals were mixed to obtain these vibrant hues. With the advent of this beautiful new palette of colors, stained glass artists began thinking of painting with glass instead of a brush. The pieces of glass had to be cut into very small pieces to achieve the nuances of color and shading found in paintings; and the technique of layering glass to produce new effects was developed.