by Kristen Depken
| For most New Yorkers, the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the name Tiffany is a brilliantly sparkling diamond set against a backdrop of robin’s egg blue. A visit to the Met, however, will prove that there is much more to the Tiffany name than dazzling diamonds and pricey platinum.
Currently on display in the Cantor Exhibition Hall is “Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall – An Artist’s Country Estate”, a collection of pieces that were masterfully created by designer Louis Comfort Tiffany for what was unquestionably the crowning achievement of his artistic career. |  | The son of Tiffany & Co. founder Charles L. Tiffany, Louis Comfort Tiffany followed in his father’s footsteps to become a skilled designer for the Tiffany studios. In 1902, after having created many innovative pieces of furniture, glass fixtures, pottery, jewelry, and other decorative works, Louis Comfort Tiffany began work on Laurelton Hall, a country estate on the outskirts of Oyster Bay, Long Island. Built to showcase Tiffany’s own artistic capabilities and to pay tribute to the work he so admired, the Laurelton estate consisted of an 84-room mansion surrounded by 60 acres of meticulously landscaped gardens, as well as stables, conservatories, tennis courts, fountains, and even a bathing beach.
Most impressive, however, was not the size of the sprawling estate or the many amenities it boasted, but the intricate details of the house and grounds, all either selected or created by Tiffany himself. While Laurelton Hall was sadly destroyed by a fire in 1957, many of Tiffany’s pieces were salvaged and – lucky for us – are now on display at The Met in an exhibit that consists of furniture, pottery, wood carvings, moldings, glasswork and more of Tiffany’s own creations, as well as pieces from his extensive collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Native American art.
The highlight of the exhibit – and the works for which Tiffany is most well-known – are his glass installations. Tiffany used stained glass to create exquisite floral and nature scenes in windows, light fixtures, and decorative wall panels. Each fixture incorporates careful details with a rich, ornamental feel to create a piece that is simply stunning when illuminated, adding light, color, and warmth to the exhibit as they would have to any Laurelton Hall room in which they were displayed.
The Wisteria panel from the Laurelton dining room features lush shades of green and purple wisteria cascading from the top of the leaded-glass pane; meanwhile the Magnolia windows let in sunlight through delicate white magnolia flowers in shades of opalescent white and pink.
The large stained glass Four Seasons window, cut into four pieces for the Laurelton living room, portrays scenes that characterize each of the four seasons in rich color and elaborate detail. Many other stained glass windows, an array of lamps, and a gorgeous chandelier are also on display, and all of the stained glass pieces are illuminated from behind in order to emphasize the fullness of their color and the beautiful aura they cast in a room.
While the Met certainly pays Tiffany’s glass fixtures their due, the Laurelton Hall exhibit also does an excellent job of recreating several Laurelton Hall rooms and structures. Reassembled in the Met are Laurelton Hall’s dining room, Fountain Court, and, for the first time since the 1957 fire, the estate’s Daffodil Terrace. Though not every piece of the original rooms has made it to the Met, there are still enough to recreate not only the setup of these rooms and structures, but their elegant grandeur and aesthetic appeal as well. The dining room includes Tiffany’s exquisite chandelier and his hand-crafted armchairs; the Fountain Court displays a beautiful Favrile glass globe and a sleek vase surrounded by a small fountain; meanwhile the Daffodil Terrace has been rebuilt using Tiffany’s original Daffodil capitals.
The Laurelton Hall exhibit also pays tribute to many of Tiffany’s lesser-known pursuits. Through these we learn more about Tiffany himself. Small yet carefully crafted vases, serving trays, and other household items show the attention Tiffany lavished on even the simplest of everyday items. Tiffany’s painting, My Family at Somesville, reveals his skill as a painter, as well as the dominant role his family played in his life.
Most intriguing, however, is Tiffany’s ample collection of Asian and Native American art, which he displayed throughout his home. Tiffany even went so far as to create a Native American room and a Chinese room for some of his most prized possessions. The Laurelton Hall exhibit contains a large number of these pieces, attesting to the impressive size of Tiffany’s collection. Some of the most notable are a late 19th-century Chinese headdress, a beaded Native American dress, and an exquisite pair of teakwood doors carved in India.
The Laurelton Hall exhibit does an amazing job of recreating wherever possible the look and spirit of Tiffany’s original estate from those pieces of it that still remain. The exhibit successfully portrays the grandiose yet highly personalized feel of Tiffany’s mansion masterpiece, and the works on display reveal his painstaking attention to detail, his artistic skill, and his simple love and admiration of beautiful art.
“Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall – An Artist’s Country Estate” is on display until May 20, 2007 in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall on the 2nd floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. Entry is free with museum admission. |
|
