An exhibition of more than 50 examples of Tiffany domestic lighting will be on display this week at New York’s Macklowe Gallery, including some of the earliest lamps made for electricity.
From June 6 through August 30, the Art of The Interior: Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Favrile Lighting encompasses one example of nearly all versions of lamps produced by Tiffany Studios. Among these are Favrile, Moorish and Linenfold designs, as well as Prism sconces and Arts and Crafts chandeliers. Also, several models of the Nautilus shell desk lamp, which was the first electrified lamp Tiffany produced, and every variation of the Lily lamp, ranging from 3 to 18 blown glass lily shades, in both patinated and gilt bronze bases will be on display.
All of the lamps in the exhibition were created in New York City at the Tiffany Studios foundry in Corona, Queens, between 1900 and 1928. Many of Tiffany Studios’ innovations in glass making techniques have never been improved upon to this day.
Louis Comfort Tiffany was one of the most prominent figures of the Gilded Age and a scion of the Tiffany & Company jewelry and silversmith family, as well as the decorative artist most commonly associated with American Art Nouveau. A passionate landscape architect, Tiffany designed the 580 acres of his private home, Laurelton Hall, as a private garden. Tiffany’s “Moorish” lamps were inspired by frequent trips to North Africa and his lifelong fascination with Islamic culture.
Tiffany was commissioned to decorate interiors at the White House for President Arthur and the homes of the Vanderbilts, Havemeyers and Mark Twain. Together with Thomas Edison, Tiffany created decorative and stage lighting for New York’s Lyceum Theater, the first in the world to have electric illumination.
The Macklowe Gallery is located at 667 Madison Avenue, between 60th and 61st Streets, and is open Monday - Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The exhibition is free to the public.
On Thursday June 20 at 10:00 a.m., President Benjamin Macklowe will lead a walking tour of “Louis Comfort Tiffany’s New York” around buildings in New York featuring Tiffany’s glasswork and interiors. An eight-page catalogue will accompany the exhibit.
A list of public spaces throughout the metropolitan region featuring Tiffany Studios designs, including leaded glass windows, architectural railings and interiors, will also be provided. The tour is free of charge, and spaces are available on a first-come basis. (RSVP)
