Fish and sea mosaic panel
The seaweed and beach stones window is an early experimental example of the stained glass of Louis C. Tiffany, and it is documented as one of the earliest known windows made by Tiffany in which he employed beach-worn quartz stones for decorative effect in stained glass. As described by Emily Johnston De Forest (Mrs. Robert W. de Forest) in notes that she made on the furnishings of Wawapek:
"In the summer of 1884 Louis C. Tiffany paid us quite a long visit in H. G. de Forest’s [Robert’s brother, Henry] cottage at Montauk Point, L. I…. There we gathered translucent stones and made strange patterns with long fronds of thick brown seaweed. Louis left us with his valises filled with colored stones and the next Christmas he sent us this lovely window made with the very same stones and showing the fronds of thick brown seaweed."
In its marine theme, abstracted design, and use of beach stones, the window is an important bridge between the Bella Apartment window (2002.474) of about 1880 and the Squash/jellyfish window (2015.707) of about 1890.
The mosaic panel was presumably made as a companion piece. It, too, features an underwater motif, but in an entirely different treatment. Rather than the moody, dramatic dark and often experimental glass, the tropical fish—in some ways seen as an exploitation of the properties of Tiffany’s iridescent glass—is more explicit and even cheerful. The iridescent glass utilized to convey the water exhibits a great variety of coloration and iridescent effects. Of particular interest are the framing elements: the translucent quartz pebbles of the Seaweed panel have been replicated here in large chunks of glass with similar coloration and which have been cut away in places, smoothed in others, and given a surface treatment to give them the appearance of stones, but which would catch the reflected light.
"In the summer of 1884 Louis C. Tiffany paid us quite a long visit in H. G. de Forest’s [Robert’s brother, Henry] cottage at Montauk Point, L. I…. There we gathered translucent stones and made strange patterns with long fronds of thick brown seaweed. Louis left us with his valises filled with colored stones and the next Christmas he sent us this lovely window made with the very same stones and showing the fronds of thick brown seaweed."
In its marine theme, abstracted design, and use of beach stones, the window is an important bridge between the Bella Apartment window (2002.474) of about 1880 and the Squash/jellyfish window (2015.707) of about 1890.
The mosaic panel was presumably made as a companion piece. It, too, features an underwater motif, but in an entirely different treatment. Rather than the moody, dramatic dark and often experimental glass, the tropical fish—in some ways seen as an exploitation of the properties of Tiffany’s iridescent glass—is more explicit and even cheerful. The iridescent glass utilized to convey the water exhibits a great variety of coloration and iridescent effects. Of particular interest are the framing elements: the translucent quartz pebbles of the Seaweed panel have been replicated here in large chunks of glass with similar coloration and which have been cut away in places, smoothed in others, and given a surface treatment to give them the appearance of stones, but which would catch the reflected light.
Artwork Details
- Title: Fish and sea mosaic panel
- Artist: Louis C. Tiffany (American, New York 1848–1933 New York)
- Manufacturer: Tiffany Glass Company (1885–92)
- Date: ca. 1885–90
- Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Gold-foil backed mosaic glass, stones
- Dimensions: 21 × 30 in. (53.3 × 76.2 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Page Williams Dwyer, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.933.1
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Louis C. Tiffany
Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company
ca. 1900
Louis C. Tiffany
Tiffany Studios
1902–33
Louis C. Tiffany
Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company
ca. 1893–97
Louis C. Tiffany
Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company
ca. 1895
Louis C. Tiffany
Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company
1893–1900
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.