stained glass

Melchior S. Beltzhoover (American, 1868–1918) commissioned Louis C. Tiffany to make this large window for his music room at Rochroane Castle, a Gothic Revival mansion built in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York. The window recreates the summer landscape seen from Rochroane’s hilltop location, a river vista framed by hollyhocks, clematis, and trumpet vines. The rich colors, details, and illusionistic effects are produced entirely with lead lines and different types of glass. Textured glass suggests waves in water, glass with subtle changes in color creates the depths of the flowers, and layers of colored glass – a technique called plating—distances the rolling hills. The design and execution of this window received accolade when it was first unveiled; a 1905 article in International Studio magazine called this window one of the most important residential commissions of its day. The decorations and furnishings at Rochroane, including this window, were removed before the building caught fire in 1977.