The name Tiffany, today a unanimous synonym for luxury and good
taste, owes its reputation to a fascinating and surprising history.
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) was the eldest son of Charles Louis
Tiffany, founder of the world-renowned silver and jewelry firm
Tiffany & Co. Refusing to take part in his father's company, Tiffany
took up painting at a young age and while in his twenties traveled
extensively in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. When he
came back to New York, he brought with him a keen interest in stained
glass and began to work on new techniques which would revolutionize
the still-used Medieval technique of painting on glass. He developed
Favril Glass, an opalescent glass with deep, glowing color which far
surpassed, in quality and beauty, all existing techniques. He soon
gained recognition as a designer and fabricator of stained glass
windows and enjoyed commissions from many wealthy clients. Tiffany
went on to form his own company and to produce exquisite lamps,
vases, and murals in the Art Nouveau style, flowers and trees being
the predominant subjects for his designs. Though most famous for his
work with glass, his talents also included interior design, rug
making, ceramics, mosiacs, and jewelry. He enjoyed and long and
successful career but, after a series of personal and financial
misfortunes and declining popularity due in part to the First World
War, died penniless and forgotten in 1933. It wasn't until the 1960s
that new interest in his work emerged, and Tiffany soon became a
household name denoting beauty, grace, color, and elegance. With over
300 color plates, text by Jacob Baal-Teshuva, a documentary index,
and an illustrated biography/bibliography, Tiffany: A Quest For
Beauty renders homage to the man who revolutionized both the art and
technique of stained glass.
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