Lightner Museum
Tiffany Studios
New York, NY 1902 - 1932
Prima c. 1890
Lead glass window panel
The Aesthetic Movement is a late 19th century genre that focused on pure beauty over practicality, also coined "art for art's sake." The movement originated in Britain across literature and fine art including stained glass. As the movement swept through America (1860 - 1890), the belief was that a beautiful environment could enhance the quality of life and beauty should exist for the enjoyment of everyone, not only the elite.
This window is an example of the Aesthetic Movement. It uses light, color and nature to depict Flora, the roman goddess of flowers and the season of spring. She is exemplified by a beautiful maiden, garlanded with flowers, wearing white drapery. Tiffany exuded elements of Aestheticism in his glass designs and in his paintings. He created a large canvas between 1887-1898 called The Blossoms of Spring also known as Flora and Spring which depicts a procession of ethereal women gathering in a beautiful field of flowers. While this window is much smaller in size and scale, and is inscribed with the words "Prima," Italian for first, it's possible that it was created for a patron with less economical means.
Lightner Museum
Tiffany Studios
New York, NY 1902 - 1932
Prima c. 1890
Lead glass window panel
The Aesthetic Movement is a late 19th century genre that focused on pure beauty over practicality, also coined "art for art's sake." The movement originated in Britain across literature and fine art including stained glass. As the movement swept through America (1860 - 1890), the belief was that a beautiful environment could enhance the quality of life and beauty should exist for the enjoyment of everyone, not only the elite.
This window is an example of the Aesthetic Movement. It uses light, color and nature to depict Flora, the roman goddess of flowers and the season of spring. She is exemplified by a beautiful maiden, garlanded with flowers, wearing white drapery. Tiffany exuded elements of Aestheticism in his glass designs and in his paintings. He created a large canvas between 1887-1898 called The Blossoms of Spring also known as Flora and Spring which depicts a procession of ethereal women gathering in a beautiful field of flowers. While this window is much smaller in size and scale, and is inscribed with the words "Prima," Italian for first, it's possible that it was created for a patron with less economical means.