“Magnolias and Irises”
This favrile leaded glass window, titled “Magnolias and Irises”, was created by the American decorative artist, Louis Comfort Tiffany, in 1908.
This panel depicts a gorgeous landscape. Irises decorate the window under a flowering magnolia tree. A horizon of mountains is present in the background. A river, interpreted as the “River of Life”, runs down the mountains to the foreground. The Art Nouveau influence that Tiffany is known for can be seen in the lines of the trees, the flowers, and the overall color scheme.
This window was created as a memorial for the Frank family. It was originally installed in a mausoleum in a Brooklyn cemetery, where it remained until 1981. Between 1900 and 1910, Tiffany received a large number of commissions for such pieces.
Favrile is an iridescent art glass that was developed by Tiffany himself. He patented the idea in 1894 and first made it in 1896. It richly transmits light and color. The secret is that the color is not only on the surface of the glass but embedded within the glass itself. Tiffany used favrile glass in his famous stained-glass windows and were part of the reason why his windows were so luminous and richly colored.
“Magnolias and Irises” is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in the United States.
For more on Louis Comfort Tiffany, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
