Author Description

Alastair Duncan, the world-renowned authority on Louis C. Tiffany, has produced the definitive work on America's premier artist-designer, examining every facet of Tiffany's unrivalled achievements in a lifetime consecrated, in his own words, to "The Quest of Beauty." As Tiffany's wares have continued to rise in popularity since their resurgence in the market-place in the 1950s, many collectors have focused solely on lamps, others on glassware, while others again have assembled collections encompassing several Tiffany disciplines, for example, a handful of lamps, vases, fancy goods, and a window or painting or two. Only Takeo Horiuchi, however, has set out to build a comprehensive collection that incorporates masterworks in each and every artistic discipline to which Tiffany applied himself: Paintings, Furniture, Windows, Mosaics, Art Glass, Lamps, Fancy Goods, Metalware, Enamelware, Silver, Pottery and Jewellery. This book, based on the superlative Louis C. Tiffany Garden Museum Collection formed by Mr. Horiuchi, presents a unique overview of every aspect of Tiffany's talent. For the first time it is possible to see, gathered together "under one roof," the range of Louis C. Tiffany's creativity -- from his famous lamps and windows to his lesser-known paintings and furniture. Every piece in the collection is reproduced in color, often complemented by extracts from contemporary art revues and the Tiffany firm's sales catalogs, advertisements and price lists, while photographs show them in their original domestic settings, or in the firm's showrooms or international expositions at which they made their debuts. Tiffany's workshops are also illustrated, as well as the logbook entries of its artisans and annotated sketches of its designers. This wealth of illustrative material is accompanied by Alastair Duncan's detailed and evocative descriptions of the workshops, materials, manufacturing processes, the rich and famous who patronized Tiffany, their commissions, and the colorful personalities of the team of artist-craftsmen with whom Tiffany surrounded himself. This book provides a beautiful and comprehensive picture of every artistic discipline to which Tiffany applied himself, a true testament to his extraordinary talent.