Tiffany glass on exhibit transcends its time

What makes something worthy of being in an art museum?

Often, works are collected and exhibited as examples for posterity, capturing a cultural moment, style, design approach, or even use of materials. If we can see the object or artist as influencing the world or helping define a place or thought process we try to hold on to it and “hold it up to the light” as something worthy of study and conservation.

Definitions placed on works of art and artists are only important in that they help us better understand the object we might be looking at. Quite often, artists whose works are included inside a museum’s walls made things that transcended their original intention.

An impressive show, “Tiffany in Bloom: Stained Glass Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany,” currently on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art, explores the influences, design and making of these objects that are traditionally found in private homes. It also highlights how Tiffany’s shop and studio continues to impact the art and design world even 100 years later.

Around the turn of the 20th century, a movement known as the Arts and Crafts movement emerged. A thoughtful return to handmade objects and craftsmanship that went against “industrialism” was taking form and Louis Comfort Tiffany epitomizes this era.

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Seeking to bring nature and natural light into the home through the then-new technology of electric light, Tiffany created lamps and windows that were a commercial success in the United States and Europe.

Interestingly, the principal designer of most of Tiffany’s floral themed lamps and indeed one of his leading designers was Tallmadge native Clara Wolcott Driscoll (1861-1944).

Both she and the work she made for the design firm help to cast a glow on how forward-thinking Tiffany was, both in his designs and in whose thoughts and ideas he valued.

“Pansy Border Table Lamp” (circa 1902–10) was likely designed by Driscoll and is made of leaded glass and bronze. In this piece, the bronze structure is more skeletal in nature, a style that helps to reference stems of flowers and vegetation.

The lamp’s base features blown green glass that comes through or protrudes out of the structure of the lamp creating a pleasing shape that is similar to a bud of a flower or even a piece of fruit.

The lamp’s top or shade is made of hundreds of pieces of glass in a floral pattern. There is not one element of this style of lamp that outshines the other. It is the complete design of the object with all its aspects working together that help to make it so successful and indeed satisfying to look at.

“Wisteria Lamp” (circa 1902-10) designed by Driscoll is also made of leaded glass and bronze and features a base and shade that mimics nature.

The bronze base has a surface that undulates and is carved to look like a Wisteria plant as it grows out of the ground. The patina used on the bronze helps to enhance this quality and this has only gotten stronger as the piece has aged.

The lamp shade mimics the Wisteria plant with glass that goes from blue to light blue to slightly purple. The design of this lamp also highlights the influence of Japanes3 art and design had on Tiffany as new channels of trade and commerce were just opening up with Japan at that time and artists in the U.S. and Europe found themselves enamored with it.

Tiffany did several commissions in Northeast Ohio, a striking example of one is also on display in this exhibit. The “Hinds House Window” was commissioned in 1898 for the Howell Hinds house in Cleveland which was demolished in 1930.

The piece is rectangular and features a dark green border that is surrounded by smaller orange to yellow to red elements. In the middle of the window is a scene that is made from the vantage point of looking out of a house that has large white columns with a view of another Greek or Roman style building in the distance along with a light-filled sky.

All of the parts of the central composition are wrapped in flowers of some kind and the overall effect is that of looking at a world in constant bloom.

This exhibit provides an unusual opportunity to see a collection of lamps made by one of the most impactful artists and designers of the past several hundred years. Tiffany’s vision for how to use natural and electric light to beautify living spaces through his unique style and use of glass is unparalleled.

Contact Anderson Turner at haturner3@gmail.com.

DETAILS

What: “Tiffany in Bloom: Stained Glass Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany”

Where: Julia and Larry Pollock Focus Gallery, Cleveland Museum of Art

When: Through June 14

Information: https://www.clevelandart.org