TIFFANY, Louis Comfort, American artist and decorator ,• b. New York City, 18 Feb. 1848. In early life he evinced a strong inclina tion toward the fine arts; hence his parents wisely gratified his tastes and educated him for an artist. He first studied with George Inness and Samuel Coleman in New York, then with Leon Bailly in Paris. He spent five years in Europe and the Orient, and besides working in water colors and oils, devoted much of his time to the study of the decorative arts. He became interested in glass and its possibilities in the early 70's and revived the mosaic theory in the construction of colored glass windows. Believing that work executed upon this principle would give the best artistic re sults, but finding that the glass in the markets did not have the range of color and texture necessary to carry out his ideas, he began a series of experiments through existing glass houses, but as these failed to grasp his thoughts he established works of his own. He succeeded in producing not only many of the finest effects that were obtained in the past, but also dis covered new formulas by which he could make glass unlimited in its range of color and texture. With this glass, which is known as "Tiffany favrile glass" he has not only made windows of great beauty, but also vases and different objects of artistic interest which at once commanded the admiration of the world. In 1878 he organized a company under the title of Louis C. Tiffany and Associated Artists, for the purpose of pro moting the decorative arts in America and particularly the developing the making of colored-glass windows. This was the founda tion of the business. The glass blowing branch was first established as the Stourbridge Glass Company, and subsequently the Tiffany Fur naces. :The general manufacturing and mer chandising began under the name of the Tiffany Glass Company, which in the development and broadening of its business became the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company and the Allied Arts Company which are now more generally known as the Tiffany Studios. One of his most notable works in mosaic is the Chancel of the Crypt in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York, executed in glass mosaisc and semi-precious stones. Another recent example is the interior decoration of the new Madison Square Presbyterian Church in New York. But while there are hundreds of churches with Tiffany windows and many of them entirely decorated by his artists, eccle siastical work is only one of the many branches of his varied artistic achievements. In dome,s tic decorative work his two dwellings, the city home at Madison avenue and 72d street, New York, and his country house at Oyster Bay, L. I., are varied examples of his individuality and taste. Many of the most notable residences, university halls, hotels, theatres and other buildings in New York, Bos ton, Chicago and other large centres have been decorated by his art workers. Louis C. Tiffany
is perhaps more widely known through his work in glass, mosaics and, interior decorations, as these naturally appeal to the popular taste and attract attention by their exposure to public view. His genius, however, has not been re stricted even to these varied fields, but he has constantly sought employment wherever artistic feeling could give expression. His studies in chemistry and his exhaustive laboratory work revealed new possibilities beyond the realms of glass. He has worked successfully in tapestry, rugs and other materials, pottery, metallic lus tres, enamels and in later years he has given much thought to art jewelry and silverware, all of which, however, have not weaned him from his early love of the brush. He was from the first, and is to-day, a painter and works with his brush not only in his studios in town and coun try, but also on his annual trips abroad. After one of his winter sojourns in Egypt he brought home in 1906 over 23 water colors which he ex ecuted while sailing in his dahabiah•on the Nile. His water colors and pictures in oil are fre quently seen in the galleries of the art clubs and at other exhibitions. Among his principal can vases are