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Firescreen

John La Farge American
1884
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 741
According to family tradition, John La Farge composed this panel in 1884 as a tenth wedding anniversary present for his close friends Richard Watson Gilder (1844-1909) and his student, Helena de Kay (1846-1916), a painter. A wreath encircling their initials and the year 1874 inscribed in gold commemorate their marriage. It originally functioned as a window in an inglenook in the Gilders' home and his wife's studio, at 103 East Fifteenth Street. About 1890, Stanford White (1853-1906), a member of the Gilders' artistic circle, remodeled the house, removed the panel from its architectural setting, and refitted it as a freestanding fire screen. The use of opalescent glass and delicate glass jewels is characteristic of the early work of La Farge.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Firescreen
  • Maker: John La Farge (American, New York 1835–1910 Providence, Rhode Island)
  • Date: 1884
  • Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Leaded opalescent glass, brass
  • Dimensions: Overall: 42 x 29 in. (106.7 x 73.7 cm)
    Panel: 30 x 26 7/8 in. (76.2 x 68.3 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore Foundation Gift, 2000
  • Object Number: 2000.422
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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