| Of all the artists that America has produced, Louis | | | | stained glass by painting glass with enamels. |
| Comfort Tiffany was one of the most gifted. | | | | Therefore, Tiffany continued his work alone. |
| Tiffany, born in 1848 in New York City, was the | | | | In the late 1870s, Tiffany followed the Aesthetic |
| son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, the owner and | | | | Movement. It focused on integrating the various |
| founder of Tiffany & Company. This company | | | | arts in his decorative work. One of the greatest |
| was well known for its jewelry and silver at the | | | | examples of this type of artwork was for his |
| time. Although he had the opportunity, Louis | | | | good friends Louisine and Henry Osborne |
| Tiffany chose to follow his own artistic path | | | | Havemeyer. Tiffany used various elements he |
| rather than join his father in the family business. | | | | had created including mosaic walls, fireplace |
| Louis Tiffany's first endeavor in the art world was | | | | screens, lighting fixtures, and a suspended |
| in the area of painting. He got his training in New | | | | staircase to decorate their home. |
| York City as well as in Paris. His first exhibit was | | | | Tiffany first started using mosaics in the late |
| at the National Academy of Design, in 1867. When | | | | 1870s. At this time he used bright colorful tiles to |
| traveling in Europe in 1868, he met | | | | surround fireplaces. It was also at this time that |
| Leon-Adolphe-Auguste Belly, who helped expose | | | | he came up with the idea to use shapes other |
| him to the Oriental style of painting. | | | | than squares when designing a mosaic piece. This |
| A few years later, he traveled to Egypt, Morocco, | | | | allowed his creations to look more natural. |
| Algeria and Tunisia, where he learned even more | | | | In the early 1890s, Tiffany experimented with a |
| skills which he could incorporate in his paintings. Up | | | | new technique of blending different colors of glass |
| until the mid 1870's, Tiffany was primarily known | | | | while still molten. He first used this glass in stain |
| as a painter. However it was around that time | | | | glassed windows. At this time, art glass was |
| that he started to experiment with glass. When | | | | becoming a collector's dream, especially that of |
| Louis Tiffany started working with glass, he joined | | | | glass vessels. The public was interested in new |
| with Candace Wheeler, Samuel Colman and | | | | forms, colors, and decorations in these vessels. |
| Lockwood De Forest, and together they created | | | | Making note of this, Tiffany used these |
| the Louis Comfort Tiffany and Associated Artists. | | | | techniques in his new creations of bowls and |
| In 1881, one of their creations was a glass screen, | | | | vases. Tiffany called his items created in this way |
| from floor to ceiling, for use in the White House | | | | "favrile" which is taken from Old English, meaning |
| by President Chester A. Arthur. At this point, Mr. | | | | hand wrought, each piece unique. These Tiffany |
| Tiffany was deeply involved with his glass works, | | | | Favriles became very popular at the time. |
| and the Tiffany Glass Company was created. In | | | | At the turn of the century, the Art Nouveau |
| 1902, it was then known as the Tiffany Studios. | | | | movement was taking place. Louis Tiffany's work |
| It was from this time on that Louis Tiffany's | | | | with his glass creations embraced these ideas, |
| creations became more daring and experimental. | | | | which focused on incorporating art into everyday |
| He found that glass with impurities in it, such as | | | | life. It made use of nature themes, such as floral |
| jelly jars, helped to create more intense colors for | | | | designs, as well as flowing lines in the art work. All |
| use in stained glass windows. However, other | | | | of this helped make Tiffany one of the most |
| artists of the time did not agree. They wanted to | | | | versatile artists of his time. |
| continue with the customary method of creating | | | | |