Tiffany Studios

Private Midwestern Collection
Sotheby's New York, December 2, 2000, lot 671
Private European Collection
Christie's New York, June 9, 2005, lot 31
Geoffrey Diner, Washington, D.C.
Sandra van den Broek, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1980-2000

Overall in very good condition. The shade with approximately 25 cracks to the glass tiles dispersed throughout, which is a relatively low number in proportion to the vast number of glass tiles which were required to execute this large complex shade. All of these hairlines appear stable. The "Chased Pod" Senior floor base displays an exceptionally deep and rich layered russet brown and green patina. The patinated bronze surfaces with some occasional light surfaces scratches and abrasions, gentle rubbing, and a few small areas of minor surface discolorations consistent with age and gentle use. All of the sockets and paddle switches appear original and undisturbed. With a replaced "Pig Tail" finial which displays a corresponding patina to the base. A particularly beautiful example of this impressive floral model, displaying a highly saturated and well-varied glass selection. The poppy blossoms are exquisitely rendered in varying hues of rich ruby red. Each glass tile incorporated throughout the shade displays strong artistic nuance, adding to the visual movement and pictorial depth of the lamp. When viewing this lamp firsthand, the colors appear richer and more nuanced than seen in the catalogue illustrations, especially in the extraordinary range of reds.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The painterly glass selection in this example speaks to the artistry of Tiffany’s glass designs.  The poppy is depicted here in full bloom amidst a lush garden bed.  Deeply saturated scarlet and ruby red tones in the poppy blossoms provide a naturalistic view of the flower that are heightened by the contrasting shades of vigorously mottled green foliage, evoking the sense of light as it passes through the blossoms.

The background passages display an extraordinary transition in hues commencing in rich earth-toned purples to cobalt to a more subtle blue sky above.  This juxtaposition of rich coloration and high contrast displays a sensitive view of the natural world captured in glass, and the thoughtful layering and foreshortening of the blossoms creates a pictorial illusion of the flowerbed receding.  In contrast to other more naturalistic portrayals of the poppy produced by Tiffany Studios, the present model exhibits the flower in a more conventionalized form.¹

The 19^th Century interest in cataloguing flora and fauna had a distinct influence on Tiffany’s stylistic references as archival photographs of plants in the firm’s holdings demonstrate.  Even in horticultural photographs, an artistic sensibility is evoked by placement and composition as displayed in an archival photograph of Poppies dated 1897 from the collection of Agnes Northrop. 

The inspiration drawn from naturalist collections shows symmetries to the floral woodcuts of American Arts and Crafts artist Edna Boies Hopkins, which show a similar affinity for the nature-inspired Japonesque style that resonated so strongly with Tiffany’s design aesthetic.  Here, the notion of studying nature as essential to greater artistry is an ideology truly espoused by Tiffany and embodied in the composition of the Poppy model. 


¹ Martin Eidelberg, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Nancy A.  McClelland and Lars Rachen, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, 2005, p. 133