Tiffany Art Glass

Artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933) is perhaps best known for innovation in glass and particularly his signature Favrile, the marketing term used for the art glass, pottery, and metalwork produced at his various companies. Though Tiffany produced many artistic objects in glass, from windows to lamps to mosaics, his blown glass pieces provided an avenue for some of his richest experimentation in formulas and techniques. Tiffany and his artists derived inspiration from across the natural world, from the unique striations of gemstones and crystals to the organic flow of molten lava. From these points of reference, his artisans redefined the medium by adapting traditional techniques and creating new methods of their own. At the height of Tiffany’s production, his artists could recreate nearly any texture, color, or form in glass. The selected works in this exhibition showcase Tiffany’s mastery of textured effects and reverence for nature in his lifelong pursuit of beauty.