Masterworks of Louis Comfort Tiffany

In the most complete survey of Louis Comfort Tiffany's decorative designs since McKean's The "Lost" Treasures of Louis Comfort Tiffany [BKL N 1 80], the authors have brought together for a current exhibition prime examples of Tiffany's best work. With the explosion of interest in Tiffany designs, the curators have been provided with a wealth of choices, and their selections admirably document the Tiffany style with relatively unfamiliar examples of museum-quality work. Windows and lamps are the obvious elements here, but pottery, metalwork, jewelry, and painting are also well represented. Tiffany's skill as an interior designer is also examined in the public buildings and private homes he supervised. Contributing essays discuss other aspects of Tiffany's career and art, while a series of stunning color illustrations evoke the beauty of Tiffany designs. Chronology; index. --John Brosnahan

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Here is new perspective on the Tiffany phenomenon, published to accompany 1989 exhibition. Not a catalog per se, the book has a short introduction offering insights about Tiffany's accomplishments followed by three essays by Tiffany scholars. The first deals with Tiffany's early years, exploring his philosophy of decoration, his marketing, patronage, influences on Tiffany from society, and the rise of the professional decorator. Extensive use is made of primary sources and period photographs. The second essay places the artist in the context of European Art Nouveau and shrewdly compares him with Emile Galle. This essay also explores Tiffany's relationship to nature and to Japanese art. The third essay sees Tiffany's period as having new concerns for religious settings. Sources, patrons, and commissions are explored as is Tiffany's use of nonfigurative windows. The volume also provides a good survey of the wide range of objects Tiffany produced in many art forms. Of 125 illustrations, 72 are superb color plates. Extensive footnotes for the essays and detailed notes for the illustrations give literature, provenance, and comments. A chronology and index are included, but no bibliography. Robert Koch's Louis Comfort Tiffany (CH, Jan '65) is still the best comprehensive source on the artist, but this new book is a significant addition to Tiffany scholarship for its fine insights. -W. L. Whitwell, Hollins College

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