Drawing of Moroccan doors

This early and especially highly finished drawing is unusual in the collection in that it depicts an Islamic door, likely drawn while on one of his several trips to Morocco. It is evidence of the artist’s careful observation and his interest in recording architectural detailing. Tiffany’s admiration of Islamic culture and architecture is evident in work that he and his studios produced, and could be seen to great extent in the homes that he designed for himself, including his apartment on East 24th Street (1880-1885), his two floors in his father’s house at 72nd Street and Madison Avenue (1885-1933), and ultimately, Laurelton Hall (1902-1918), his country estate on Long Island. It is demonstrates Tiffany’s facility with various mediums, in this case gouache on colored paper. The highly decorative geometric patterns are executed with great precision, and at the same time, the sketchy quality of the overall doors captures the sense of age and rusticity of the architectural element.