Tiffany's creativity peaked as Art Nouveau burst on the scene in Europe in the mid-1890s. He shared with its practitioners an enthusiasm for new interpretations of nature. Many glass and pottery vases, enamels, and pieces of jewelry, the design and production of which he oversaw during this period, were clearly organic interpretations of nature and birds. What began as formal interpretations of nature grew into a love of lush naturalism, and as his artistic career progressed, he became increasingly preocupied by illusionistic depictions of landscapes and flowers. His was not an intellectual approach to art; rather it was a sensory one, providing feasts of color, light, and texture.

Post–Civil War prosperity produced patrons who were not merely rich but also cultured and who shared an aptitude for experimentation. They were poised for Tiffany, who coupled his artistic ambitions with a unique marketing ability that enabled him to publicize his wares to an extent formerly unknown in America. Tiffany utilized the great international fairs of the late nineteenth century as promotional vehicles for his artistic work. He first exhibited his oil paintings at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and later at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. It was the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, however, that was a watershed event in Tiffany’s career. Over a million people visited his exhibit, which was the subject of numerous accounts in the press and the catalyst for many new commissions. During that period the Parisian dealer Siegfried Bing saw Tiffany’s work, and his assessment of it led to his sponsorship of Tiffany in Paris and throughout Europe. Tiffany continued to make strong showings and receive awards at international fairs, notably Paris in 1900, Buffalo in 1901, Turin in 1902, and St. Louis in 1904. As a result, his work was widely known and acclaimed throughout America and around the world.