Window
Manufacture Attributed to
The Cloisonné Glass Co.
(English, 1897 - 1910)
Date1897-1910
MediumGlass, wire, wood
DimensionsOverall: 23 × 33 1/2in. (58.4 × 85.1cm)
ClassificationsART
Credit Line75th Anniversary Acquisition. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John F. McGuigan Jr.
Object number2008.26
DescriptionFramed glass panel depicting the Lion of Saint Mark. A winged lion in tones of brown set against a blue ground with celestial imagery in gold colors. Images outlined in metal wire encompassing fused glass in a cloisonne technique.On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextAt one time the design of this window was attributed to American painter, muralist and decorator John LaFarge (1835-1910), but new research indicates that it is a rare survival from The Cloisonné Glass Company. A revival of interest in hand-crafted decorative arts, including stained glass, inspired the artisans of this company. In 1897 the firm patented its novel process for producing "stained glass." Artisans outlined patterns in brass strips that were glued to a glass backing. The design was then filled with glass beads, the various colors creating naturalistic tints and shades. Applied glue held the glass bits in place, a second glass panel was laid on top, and the entire "sandwich" was sealed, then framed. The technique has been referred to as "painting with glass."
Based in London, The Cloisonné Glass Company sold glass panels for fire screens and windows throughout the United Kingdom and had a short-lived business in New York City. Windows graced domestic dwellings, churches, and businesses. Surviving catalogues indicate that the subject matter ranged from figures to heraldic images to floral motifs. Few Cloisonné Company artworks survive, and the Museum's window may be the only example in an American museum.
ATD
