Peacocks and Peonies I

John La Farge, Peacocks and Peonies I, 1882, stained glass window, frame: 112 x 51 1⁄4 x 6 1⁄2 in. (284.5 x 130.3 x 16.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Henry A. La Farge, 1936.12.1
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Artwork Details

Title
Peacocks and Peonies I
Artist
Date
1882
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
frame: 112 x 51 1⁄4 x 6 1⁄2 in. (284.5 x 130.3 x 16.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Henry A. La Farge
Mediums
Mediums Description
stained glass window
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — flower — peony
  • Animal — bird — peacock
Object Number
1936.12.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1936.12.1

Artwork Description

La Farge's stained-glass windows reflect the Gilded Age fascination with medieval art and craftsmanship. The industrial revolution had made inexpensive, mass-produced glass available to anyone, but art glass remained an emblem of wealth and good taste. These windows were commissioned by Frederick Lothrop Ames, a railroad magnate who had them installed in the vast, baronial hall of his Boston house.

The tail feathers of the peacocks are made of bits of glass in the "broken jewel" technique; each peony blossom is a single piece of glass molded to catch the light differently through the day. La Farge layered his colored glass as a painter would build glazes of colors to achieve the right shade. For the composition, he borrowed from many cultures: the central panels with the bird and flower motif evoke Chinese and Japanese screens; the lower panels emulate Pompeian architecture; and the transoms above recall the tympanum above the door to a Romanesque cathedral.

Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006

Works by this artist (11 items)

View all artworks
John La Farge, Wreath of Flowers, 1866, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.68
Wreath of Flowers
Artist
Date1866
oil on canvas
On view
John La Farge, The Golden Age, 1878, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.69
The Golden Age
Artist
Date1878
oil on canvas
On view
Henry Wolf, John La Farge, Statue of Oya Jizo, 1890, photomechanical wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.47
Statue of Oya Jizo
Artist
Date1890
photomechanical wood engraving on paper
Not on view
John La Farge, Water Lily in Sunlight, ca. 1883, watercolor on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.70
Water Lily in Sunlight
Artist
Dateca. 1883
watercolor on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
John La Farge, Peacocks and Peonies II, 1882, stained glass window, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Henry A. La Farge, 1936.12.2
Peacocks and Peonies II
Artist
Date1882
stained glass window
Not on view
John La Farge, Peonies in the Wind with Kakemono Borders, ca. 1893, stained glass and lead, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Senator Stuart Symington and Congressman James W. Symington, 1973.43
Peonies in the Wind with Kakemono Borders
Artist
Dateca. 1893
stained glass and lead
Not on view
Unidentified, Green Glass Cane, ca. 1870-1910, blown glass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.18
Green Glass Cane
Artist
Unidentified
Dateca. 1870-1910
blown glass
On view
Emile Gallé, Cordial Glass, 1850-1904, polychromed glass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.467.4
Cordial Glass
Artist
Date1850-1904
polychromed glass
Not on view