Tiffany Exhibit at MoBiA Remembered

In writing about the exhibition of alabasters from the Victoria & Albert Museum currently showing at the Museum of Biblical Art (MoBiA), I was reminded of the exhibition of religious works by the Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios that I saw there in January, 2013.  Tiffany Studios made work in stone, fresco, metal, wood and glass for a wide variety of religious organizations.  By 1889, demand for Tiffany's religious work was so great that a separate Ecclesiastical Division was created solely to produce works on religious subjects.

The MoBiA exhibition consisted of decorative objects in all of the Studio's mediums, but the windows were clearly the stars -- carefully backlit and placed at levels where they could be appreciated.

'Sir Galahad', Memorial Window for Odgen Cryder (aged 18)
from St. Andrew's Dune Church, Southhampton, NY, circa 1910, photo by McClure

This memorial window was donated to St. Andrew's Dune Church in Southhampton, NY by the parents of Ogden Cryder.  Although Sir Galahad was not a 'Christian' figure in the strictest sense, but as a Knight of the Roundtable he was imbued with purity and nobility by the pre-Raphaelite movement of the late 19th century.  Therefore, Galahad was a worthy subject for commemorating a young man who died at only 18.

'Salve Regina', window from chapel of Stony Wold Sanitorium for Women,
Lake Kushaqua, NY, circa 1910, photo by McClure

This window depicts the madonna enthroned in heaven with the regalia of royalty (crown, orb and sceptre).  It is extracted from the larger and more elaborate full-length design by Frederick Wilson of Tiffany shown below that was also displayed in the exhibition and shows how Tiffany Studios was able to adapt its designs to meet the needs of its clients.
  

Copyrighted design for the full-length 'Virgin Enthroned' by Frederick Wilson
for Tiffany Studios, photo by McClure

The round window was placed high on the wall (hence the distortion to an oval in the photo) as it would have been seen in the gable of the small chapel of the sanitorium for women and children suffering from tuberculosis.

'The Righteous Shall Receive a Crown of Glory', Brainard Memorial Window for Methodist Church,
Waterville, NY, circa 1901, design by Frederick Wilson, photo by McClure

This very large memorial window depicts five angels escorting a 'righteous soul' into heaven to receive the crown of glory. The symmetrical composition and shading from dark (at the bottom and sides) to light (at the top center) emphasize the religious concept it illustrates -- souls moving from the darkness of earth to the glory of heaven.

Detail of the top of 'The Righteous Shall Receive a Crown of Glory',
Brainard Memorial Window for Methodist Church,
Waterville, NY, circa 1901, design by Frederick Wilson, photo by McClure

This photo shows the radiance emanating from the central cross shading out into the wings and robes of the surrounding angels.

Detail of the cross in 'The Righteous Shall Receive a Crown of Glory',
Brainard Memorial Window for Methodist Church,
Waterville, NY, circa 1901, design by Frederick Wilson, photo by McClure

This photo taken from an oblique angle shows the three dimensional glass 'gems' on the cross which act as prisms to concentrate the light and achieve its brilliance in relation to the surrounding opaque glass.

Detail of the angel on the lower left in 'The Righteous Shall Receive a Crown of Glory',
Brainard Memorial Window for Methodist Church,
Waterville, NY, circa 1901, design by Frederick Wilson, photo by McClure

This photo shows the wonderful details of the angels feathered wings, draped robes, and jeweled ornaments.  The colors are varied and rich.  The Tiffany Studio developed and perfected the use of opalescent glass including 'streaky' glass that was carefully selected for use as feathers and drapery as well as many other elements of the windows. Colors were achieved by adding chemicals to the glass as it was being made. Glass painting was used sparingly -- primarily for faces, hands and feet.

'Lydia Entertaining Christ and the Apostles', design attributed to Edward P. Sperry,
Griffin Memorial Window for Centennial Baptist Church, Chicago, IL, before 1910,
photo by McClure

While not one of my favorite designs in the exhibition, this window clearly shows the use of opalescent 'drapery' glass for the figures' robes, and 'streaky' glass for the stones they walk on and even the foliage in the background.  By the way, it turns out that Tiffany Studios mislabeled this window.  The bible never mentions a meeting between Lydia and Christ -- she did encounter the apostle, Paul, and his followers, however, which is what this scene represents. 

'The Soldier of the Lord' from the collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago, IL, circa 1900,
photo by McClure

This window show how carefully selected opalescent glass was used to create the effect of reflections on shiny armor and stormy clouds in the sky.  The processes of creating and selecting the sheets of glass for each position in the composition was meticulous and painstaking.

'Vine Covered Cross', the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass,
Long Island City, NY, after 1900, photo by McClure

This window shows a more naturalistic tendency in Tiffany Studio designs with the cross all but hidden by the vines. The depiction of nature is what we normally associate with Tiffany glass.

'Altar Cross' of silver-plated brass, enamel & glass
from Christ Church Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY, 1916,
photo by McClure

These pieces from the altar furniture created by Tiffany Studios to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Christ Church Cobble Hill in 1916.  They are based on medieval and Renaissance precedents.

'Vase' of silver-plated brass, enamel & glass
from Christ Church Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY, 1916,
photo by McClure

The vase is one of a pair that resemble chalices used in Renaissance religious services.  These pieces were part of the complete redesign of the church interior by Tiffany and are still in use in liturgical services there in the present day.

The centerpiece of the exhibition was a baptismal font.

'Baptismal Font', Memorial to George Bradley and Emma Pendelton Bradley,
marble and glass mosaic, from Christ Church, Pomfret, CT, 1908, photo by McClure

The font was a memorial gift from a wife and mother whose husband and child had died within 18 months of each other. The base is composed of inlaid favrile glass in a medieval style found in churches in England and Italy.

Detail of base of 'Baptismal Font', Memorial to George Bradley and Emma Pendelton Bradley,
marble and glass mosaic, Christ Church, Pomfret, CT, 1908, photo by McClure

This MoBiA exhibit was a great pleasure because the objects were carefully selected and beautifully displayed.  MoBiA is always nice for a visit, because it is off the usual museum track, never very crowded and small enough so that exhibitions can be appreciated at leisure.