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How did grisaille decoration soften light passing through clear glass?

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The north rose window at Chartres Cathedral in France, featuring intricate stained glass with vibrant geometric and biblical designs in a large circular and five tall vertical panels. — stained glass The stained-glass rose window in the north transept of Chartres Cathedral, France.

In the context of stained glass, grisaille refers to a gray, vitreous pigment used to create monochromatic painted ornaments. When clear glass was utilized—often due to economic or doctrinal reasons—artists applied this pigment in a fine, opaque mesh across the surface.12

This decorative mesh functioned by effectively breaking up and softening the light as it passed through the window. By obscuring and fragmenting the incoming light, the grisaille technique mitigated the potential harshness of the illumination, creating a more muted and controlled visual effect within the interior space.2