Tifana stained-glass windows

Development of stained glass art in the XIX century long time stayed at a stage of development of the lost secrets of an era of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A steklodeliya, ceased to look back at heritage of the past, American Luís Komfort of Tiffany became one of the most courageous innovators in the field of art. Progress in area art a steklodeliya in the second half of the XIX century is inseparably linked with its activities for creation and application of new types of glasses and improvement of technology of their connection among themselves.
For many the name of stained-glass windows Tiffany is associated with the name of the well-known jeweler company "Tiffany Co". The most interesting that communication, really, exists. Louis Komfort of Tiffany, the legendary glass designer, - Charles Lewis's son of Tiffany, "the King Brilyantov" - the founder of firm of jewelry
Luís Tiffany was born in 1848 and since the childhood wanted to become the artist. However the design of jewelry did not attract it. Even less it liked business. Luís took painting lessons, and then threw school at all, having gone in 17 years to study art to Europe. Here he for the first time saw ancient stained-glass windows. Chartres Cathedral stained-glass windows in Paris made indelible impression on it and awakened interest in glass.
The art career of Tiffany of the beginnings as the painter and how it became known in this field, began to be engaged in glass. The first results of its activity in the field of stained glass art did not satisfy it. The glasses made at that time did not conform to its requirements. Tiffany extremely appreciated luminous intensity and natural beauty of material. In his opinion, the list paints only hid natural beauty of glass, deprived of it showiness and made unpleasant impression. Considered Tiffany that in perception of stained-glass windows the greatest role is played by effect of a banner (through passing of light) and precious shine of color glasses.
Tiffany's experiments on production of stained-glass windows from glasses of others production were not successful. Therefore at a family support he acquired glass factory and began to experiment. For a short time it achieved remarkable results and could collect stained-glass windows from glasses of own production. Thanks to application of a new type of glass — opalestsentny or opal (sometimes it call iridescent that is not true), he with success coped with such tasks as the image of a water surface or foliage one glass plate without application of a list paints. Only for the image of hands and persons he used shvartslot.

In 1885 it founded the "Glass company of Tiffany" subsequently renamed into "Masterful Tiffany". In it more than 300 people worked: designers, artists, glass blowers. They created stained-glass windows, vases, bottles, glasses and inkwells. But lamps were the best-known production of a workshop. By the way, it is interesting that made the first lamp by Tiffany incidentally – of glass scraps which remained with it after work on a stained-glass window.

In "Masterful Tiffany" did the most different lamps – with the integral glass, bronze and stained glass lamp shades assembled from multi-colored pieces of glass. Here chandeliers, a sconce, floor and desk lamps were created. Their cost reached one thousand dollars, and they were designed first of all for wealthy buyers. Luís Tiffany did not concede in anything in it to the father – presidents, large businessmen and industrialists were his clients also.
Same 1885 younger by Tiffany it was invited to decorate theater in New York. This theater - Litseum - became the first-ever theater with electric lighting. And Tiffany - the great-grandfather of all theatrical and film "svetik" (that is lighters). In 1900 at an exhibition in Paris it showed the first desktop electrolamp. Once the electricity was luxury. Today remind desk lamps and stained-glass windows from Halle of it of an ililyustra from Tiffany. Thanks to these masters of a form, the assimilated natural, floristic ornaments for the first time entered a strange combination to artificial light. Characteristic style of Tiffany - drawing from the small pieces of the poured glass put like a mosaic - in this glass and in this metal light is infinitely reflected, split up, scattered on thousands of incorrect shades of color.
Achieved original perfection of Tiffany in design of stained-glass windows, it created new, extraordinary colourful and saturated type of stained glass. In 1890 favrile glass samples as named him Tiffany, and products from it were presented to Smithsonian institute and Metropolitan Museum, Tiffany was won by the Grand Prix of the Parisian exhibition. Tiffany received orders for registration of windows and ceilings of the White House, the presidential palace in Cuba, Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt's houses. It was not satisfied by technology of a list for glass – in his opinion, it belittled natural beauty and possibilities of glass.
Tiffany's success first of all became possible thanks to broad use of new technology of assembly of a stained-glass window. Earlier vitrazhist fastened separate pieces of color glass with lead or other N - figurative covers and propaivat places of joints. According to a new way of assembly of a stained-glass window which received the name of "technician Tiffany" (Tiffany) subsequently each cut-out glass piece at first on all perimeter of an end face was wrapped in a thin copper tape. Tape width exceeded width of glass and edge of a tape were bent on the glass plane a little. Laid out, according to the sketch, the glasses which are wrapped up by a foil were accustomed to drinking by tin from two parties in places of bends of a tape. As a result received the glasses fastened with an easy reliable tin framework. The new way allowed to minimize and give width of a broach unique elegance to stained-glass windows, unlike stained-glass windows with broad lead covers. The new way allowed to collect stained-glass windows from as much as small pieces of glass that strongly increased their staginess. Besides, this way allowed to collect stained-glass windows not only in the plane, but also volume, than Lewis Tiffany with great success used, creating plafonds for lamps. By 1900 Tiffany was already one of the most famous producers of glass in the world. In its workshops there were glasses, unprecedented until then. In Tiffany's warehouses probably the world's largest, there were about 200 tons of glass of about 5 thousand various shades which were classified and spread out on special system.
Glass for Tiffany is first of all color. As the painter on a palette, and he in the course of production of glass mixed various tone and "drew" them the pictures. It extremely carefully selected colors and if necessary tone was not in one plate of glass, he put three or four glasses at each other on so-called "sandwich method", did not receive desirable tone yet. Cases when already from a ready stained-glass window of Tiffany beat out the walking cane the fragments which are not satisfying it are known.
Tiffany's activity, undoubtedly, recovered art steklodely. But actually he is not the inventor of opalestsentny glass (or Tiffany flew down). This merit belongs to John La Farjou who in 1875 used opalestsentny glass for stained-glass windows. After a while and other artists paid attention to a new type of glass and began to experiment in this area or just to copy La Farja flew down. Tiffany was not an exception. Twice it worked together with La Fargem in his workshop in Brooklyn. Subsequently delivered to Tiffany production of opalestsentny glass and objects from it on a commercial basis. At the same time he concluded with La Fargem the agreement that lamp lamp shades, stained-glass windows from opalestsentny glass and this glass will bear a name of Tiffany as the second name.
Opacity — their opalestsiruyushchy effect is characteristic of the majority of the glasses used in Tiffany's works. It is received, adding opacifying substances (tin or a burned bone) to structure of raw materials. At addition of bone ashes in the melted weight tiny droplets of phosphatic glass which "suppress" are formed (obscure) glass. The effect of such glass consists that it not so much passes light how many it refracts. Depending on the mass of opaque substances it is possible to receive various degrees of opal effect.
Of course, used Tiffany in the works and other types of glasses which were applied in art steklodeliya to it. Among them — cathedral glass which represents the transparent glass painted in weight. The intermediate position between opalestsentny and cathedral occupies kolorestsentny glass at which production "glusheny" and transparent parts of glass weight mix up not completely and, thus, plates with opaque and transparent sites turn out. Antique glass is also made by mixture of transparent and opaque masses. If to strew already ready, but not cooled yet glass with metal grains, then iriziruyushchy glass will turn out. At the same time on a surface of a plate metal luster which is poured by all flowers of a rainbow is formed. Iriziruyushchy glass was also made already to Tiffany, but only thanks to it it became rather popular.
The equipment of a copper foil invented by Tiffany was originally intended for production of lamp lamp shades. Tiffany attached great value to lamps in registration of interiors and sought to make them available to a general population. Its lamp "The blossoming lotus" collected from 1600 glass parts, with a diameter of 46 cm and 35 cm high cost $400 in 1906, and in 1989 at the New York Christie's auction was sold for 1,2 million DM. Rather low price was caused by seriality of products which are turned out by a workshop.
Tiffany attached great value to lamps in registration of interiors and sought to make them available to a general population. Now this statement sounds strange … the lamp "The blossoming lotus" collected from 1600 glass parts, with a diameter of 46 cm and 35 cm high cost $400 in 1906, and in 1989 at the New York Christie's auction was sold for 1,2 million DM.
After death of the father Luís Komfort of Tiffany inherited also his well-known jeweler firm, and shortly before death he closed the well-known glass production? Why? Creative problems? Congestion of the old man work on management?

From the middle of the last century of a lamp of Tiffany again in fashion. Now their average price – from 10 to 100 thousand dollars. Lamps reckon the least valuable with "blown", integral lamp shades. The prices of them fluctuate somewhere around 8 000 dollars. The most expensive – the lamps with a flower decor collected from glass pieces. Two lamps of Tiffany even entered ten the most expensive objects of decorative art in the world.
But the final and main thing in Tiffany's "glasses" not their price, but their beauty.