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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 Favrile 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. Author Biography:
Jacob Baal-Teshuva (born 1929) is an author,
critic and freelance curator. He studied at
the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at the
New York University, and he has written numerous
publications which include works on Marc Chagall,
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Alexander Calder,
Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat. Some 400
stunning color plates and commentary from an
independent curator shed light on Tiffany's
career and innovative stained glass techniques.
The book includes a chronological catalog of
his contributions to Art Nouveau, and a timeline
from 1848 through the 1932 bankruptcy of Tiffany
Studios and his death in 1933, to posthumous
exhibitions and sales.
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