The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Bulletin

Tiffany Studios
New York City
Parrots and Magnolia Window
About 1910-20
Leaded favrile glass
z6 x i73/4 in. (66 x 45.i cm)
Gift of Earl and Lucille Sydnor, i990
1990.315
Louis Comfort Tiffany (I 8 4 8-19 3 3) gained an international
reputation for his stained glass. Experimenting with novel
types of glass that yielded deeper, richer hues, he utilized many
colors and textures to produce pictorial effects that until then
could be achieved only by painting on the surface of the glass.
In this window the shading of colors within the glass creates
the three-dimensional form of the parrots' heads; the mixed
green and blue produces their dramatic, varying plumage.
The glass utilized for the magnolia flowers is particularly
effective. Not only does the subtle shading of hues evoke the
creamy blossoms, but the manipulated texture of the glass also
approximates the shape and three-dimensionality of the petals
themselves. In addition, Tiffany's distinctive mottled glass gives
the impression of sunlight as it is filtered through the branches.
The cut-off, asymmetrical composition of this window
reveals Tiffany's debt to the Far East, and its subject matter
reflects Tiffany's twin passions: nature and color. The window's
small size and appealing decorative subject matter suggest
that it was intended for a domestic setting in an era that
witnessed increased use of stained glass in the home.
ACF
Bibliography: Alastair Duncan, Tiffany Windows, New York, i980,
p. izz, fig. 99.