Artist

Louis Comfort Tiffany

born New York City 1848-died New York City 1933
Also known as
  • Louis C. Tiffany
  • L. C. Tiffany
  • Louis Tiffany
Born
New York, New York, United States
Died
New York, New York, United States
Active in
  • Oyster Bay, New York, United States
Nationalities
  • American
Biography

Although Tiffany is better known for his work in the decorative arts and painting, he made significant use of photography. Like many of his contemporaries, he turned to the camera to obtain an immeadiate record of the world around him. Photographs, many taken on his numerous trips abroad, provided studies for his paintings and also served as inspiration for decorative motifs. He is known to have made many photographic studies in Sea Bright, New Jersey, in the late 1880s.

Tiffany also photographed the stained-glass windows, furniture, lamps, and artifacts made by Tiffany & Company, which were published in the firm's brochures. He also experimented with the camera in an effort to capture the grace of animal and human movements. Like his paintings and stained glass, they reveal the artist's interest in form and detail.

Merry A. Foresta American Photographs: The First Century (Washington, D.C.: National Museum of American Art with the Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996)

Related Books

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The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum commemorates Treasures to Go, a series of eight exhibitions from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, touring the nation through 2002. The Principal Financial Group is a proud partner in presenting these treasures to the American people.