diff --git a/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte b/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte
index d493f16..7ea35c9 100644
--- a/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte
+++ b/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte
@@ -4644,6 +4644,17 @@
                  rotation, the outgoing pair stays underneath until the new pair
                  fades in. -->
             <div class="hero-bg" aria-hidden="true">
+                <!-- Dark-glass fade frame + counter (inert in solid mode:
+                     two absolute inset-0 pass-through boxes, no transform,
+                     no mask). Under glass the FRAME carries a static mask
+                     whose band mirrors the sheet's smoothstep and rides
+                     the sheet's own glide; the COUNTER rides the exact
+                     inverse, keeping every photo layer visually pinned —
+                     both transforms compositor-side, the mask never
+                     animates. The seam-clip lives OUTSIDE the pair: the
+                     bar's mirror must never fade. -->
+                <div class="gfade-frame" aria-hidden="true">
+                <div class="gfade-counter">
                 <div class="hero-fallback" style="--seed-hue: {seedHue}"></div>
                 {#if seedUrl}
                     <div
@@ -4738,6 +4749,8 @@
                 {:else if !selectedUsesGpu}
                     <div class="banner base"></div>
                 {/if}
+                </div>
+                </div>
                 <!-- THE SEAM TAIL (last child on purpose: paints over every
                      hero layer). The clip pins at the bar's TOP line and
                      does not ride: the mirror inside rides with the hero,
@@ -5734,6 +5747,83 @@
             var(--bg-base) 100%
         );
     }
+    /* ── DARK GLASS: the hero fades INTO the frost ─────────────────────
+       The burial moves from the sheet's paint to the photo's own alpha.
+       The .gfade-frame (wrapping every photo layer; seam-clip excluded)
+       carries a STATIC mask whose band is the sheet's exact smoothstep
+       INVERTED (mask alpha ≡ 1 − sheet alpha), parked at var(--fog-rest)
+       — which IS the band's hero-local rest offset: the sheetclip sits at
+       −pin-origin, the sheet at --band-top, and hero-bg at
+       --band-from-pin = --band-top − pin-origin, so the offsets cancel to
+       fog-rest exactly. The frame rides the sheet's glide (same sampler,
+       same range) carrying the mask; the counter rides the inverse so the
+       photo stays pinned. Photo-visible-fraction across the band therefore
+       equals the base fade at every pixel BY CONSTRUCTION — the only
+       intended difference is what the fade lands ON: the sheet's band is
+       transparent under glass (the photo fades itself) and its tail is the
+       frost tint, so the photo dissolves into desktop glow. Above the
+       band the mask is solid — the photo stays full under the bar at every
+       pose, so the data-painted contract holds with no stand-in strip.
+       Pre-measure, an unset --fog-rest resolves the mask solid via the
+       999999px sentinel: a no-op, base look. */
+    /* The frame/counter are IN-FLOW pass-throughs, deliberately not
+       positioned: the in-flow banner img is what gives .hero-bg its
+       height, and an absolute wrapper collapses that chain to zero (the
+       whole hero then clips away — measured the hard way). Their boxes
+       coincide with hero-bg's content box, so when the glass transform
+       makes the frame a containing block, absolute hero layers re-anchor
+       to an identical box. No rule needed in solid mode at all. */
+    :global(:root.glass) .gfade-frame {
+        mask-image: linear-gradient(
+            to bottom,
+            #000 0,
+            #000 var(--fog-rest, 999999px),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.981) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.08),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.919) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.17),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.844) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.25),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.741) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.33),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.603) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.42),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.5),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.397) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.58),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.259) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.67),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.156) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.75),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.081) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.83),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.019) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.92),
+            transparent calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px)),
+            transparent 100%
+        );
+        -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(
+            to bottom,
+            #000 0,
+            #000 var(--fog-rest, 999999px),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.981) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.08),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.919) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.17),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.844) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.25),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.741) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.33),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.603) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.42),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.5),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.397) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.58),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.259) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.67),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.156) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.75),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.081) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.83),
+            rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.019) calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px) * 0.92),
+            transparent calc(var(--fog-rest, 999999px) + var(--fog-span, 170px)),
+            transparent 100%
+        );
+    }
+    /* Under glass the sheet no longer buries the photo (the mask above
+       does), so its band is fully transparent and its page below is the
+       FROST TINT — the ground the fade lands on. Solid mode keeps the
+       original gradient untouched. */
+    :global(:root.glass) .sheet {
+        background: linear-gradient(
+            180deg,
+            rgba(18, 18, 18, 0) 0px,
+            rgba(18, 18, 18, 0) var(--fog-span),
+            rgba(18, 18, 18, 0.5) calc(var(--fog-span) * 1.15),
+            rgba(18, 18, 18, 0.5) 100%
+        );
+    }
 
     /* LAYER 3 — the content, over the sheet and the hero. Its one special
        behaviour: rows fade out over 18px as they slide under the banner
@@ -5917,6 +6007,22 @@
             ));
         }
 
+        /* Dark glass on this path: the fade frame/counter track the sheet's
+           p² delta with the same live calc (delta only — the frame's rest
+           pose is 0, its mask already parks at --fog-rest). */
+        :global(:root.glass) .gfade-frame {
+            transform: translateY(calc(
+                var(--p, 0) * var(--p, 0)
+                    * (var(--strip) - var(--fog-above) - var(--fog-rest))
+            ));
+        }
+        :global(:root.glass) .gfade-counter {
+            transform: translateY(calc(
+                -1 * var(--p, 0) * var(--p, 0)
+                    * (var(--strip) - var(--fog-above) - var(--fog-rest))
+            ));
+        }
+
         .artist-page[data-scroll="1"] .banner,
         .artist-page[data-scroll="1"] :global(.gpu-hero) {
             filter: var(--mono);
@@ -6124,6 +6230,38 @@
             animation-range: 0px var(--travel, 999999px);
         }
 
+        /* Dark glass: the fade frame rides the sheet's glide (same p²
+           sampler, same range — the two must never disagree by a pixel)
+           carrying its static mask; the counter rides the exact inverse so
+           the photo layers stay pinned. Both are pure compositor
+           transforms; the mask itself never animates. */
+        :global(:root.glass) .gfade-frame {
+            animation-name: gfade-frame-ride;
+            animation-duration: auto;
+            animation-timing-function: linear(
+                0, 0.0025 5%, 0.01 10%, 0.0225 15%, 0.04 20%, 0.0625 25%,
+                0.09 30%, 0.1225 35%, 0.16 40%, 0.2025 45%, 0.25 50%,
+                0.3025 55%, 0.36 60%, 0.4225 65%, 0.49 70%, 0.5625 75%,
+                0.64 80%, 0.7225 85%, 0.81 90%, 0.9025 95%, 1
+            );
+            animation-fill-mode: both;
+            animation-timeline: --artist-pane;
+            animation-range: 0px var(--travel, 999999px);
+        }
+        :global(:root.glass) .gfade-counter {
+            animation-name: gfade-counter-ride;
+            animation-duration: auto;
+            animation-timing-function: linear(
+                0, 0.0025 5%, 0.01 10%, 0.0225 15%, 0.04 20%, 0.0625 25%,
+                0.09 30%, 0.1225 35%, 0.16 40%, 0.2025 45%, 0.25 50%,
+                0.3025 55%, 0.36 60%, 0.4225 65%, 0.49 70%, 0.5625 75%,
+                0.64 80%, 0.7225 85%, 0.81 90%, 0.9025 95%, 1
+            );
+            animation-fill-mode: both;
+            animation-timeline: --artist-pane;
+            animation-range: 0px var(--travel, 999999px);
+        }
+
         /* The identity block, ungated for the same reason. Today its top
            sheds p·travel via --edge (a per-frame LAYOUT of the whole idpin
            subtree); translateY(-p·travel) is the identical rigid motion of
@@ -6488,6 +6626,26 @@
         }
     }
 
+    /* Dark glass: the fade frame carries the sheet's exact delta (its rest
+       pose is 0 — the mask parks at --fog-rest in its own gradient), the
+       counter the exact inverse. Same endpoints as sheet-glide-ride. */
+    @keyframes gfade-frame-ride {
+        from {
+            transform: translateY(0);
+        }
+        to {
+            transform: translateY(var(--fog-ride, 0px));
+        }
+    }
+    @keyframes gfade-counter-ride {
+        from {
+            transform: translateY(0);
+        }
+        to {
+            transform: translateY(calc(-1 * var(--fog-ride, 0px)));
+        }
+    }
+
     @keyframes idblock-ride {
         from {
             transform: translateY(0);