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Louis
Comfort Tiffany
 Louis
Comfort Tiffany was born in New York City February 18, 1848 the
son of Charles Lewis Tiffany who founded the prestigious New York
silver and jewelry firm Tiffany & Co. His father’s company
founded in 1837 catered to the wealthy elite, presidents and royalty
such as Queen Victoria of England. Louis was a teenager during The
Civil War, in 1866 at the age of 18 he began to study art under
American landscape artist George Inness. In his 20’s he traveled
widely in Europe and visited Spain, North Africa and the Middle
East. There he developed an interest in Islamic architecture and
ornament, Romanesque and Moorish art, and Japanese ceramics. Growing
up in such a wealthy family had enabled Tiffany to travel in Europe
four times between 1865-1872.
On
his return to the United States in 1872, at the age of 24 Tiffany
began his first studies in glass and mosiacs. Later his experiments
with iridescent glass were conducted by exposing hot glass to a
series of fumes and metallic oxides. Over the years Tiffany Studios
would produce many stained glass windows, lamps and glass vessels
using his famous “iridescent” glass. In 1898 at the
age of 50 Tiffany began his early pottery
experiments.
Tiffany
was inspired by Thomas Edison’s new invention the incandescent
filament light bulb. He was among the first to create a revolution
in home illumination using his colored glass to produce beautiful
commercial electric lamps. Effort was made for Tiffany’s artistic
products to reach all economic levels sometimes at the sacrifice
of company profit. Most Tiffany lamps were made between 1895 and
1920.
Tiffany
is best known his Art Nouveau style of free flowing almost sensuous
natural forms and designs. Many recognize his glass vases, windows
and lamps but he was also involved in interior design, furniture,
rugs, ceramics, jewelry, bronze items, painting and photography.
Louis Comfort Tiffany was a visionary of Art Nouveau design. His
items are prized and treasured both here in America and all over
the world. His career spanned over 50 years including tenure with
L.C. Tiffany & Associated Artists, the Tiffany Glass Company,
Tiffany Studios, Tiffany Furnaces and the L.C. Tiffany Furnaces.
He died in New York on January 17, 1933 at the age of 85. |
