stained glass

Object NameWindow

Maker Donald MacDonald

Maker John La Farge (American, 1835-1910)

Makerpossibly Thomas Wright

Made FromGlass, lead came

Dateabout 1897

Techniquebut glass assembled with lead, some plating

Size(Frame) H: 134.5 cm, W: 116.9 cm

Accession Number93.4.18

Curatorial Area(s)

Modern

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

John La Farge, who was trained as a painter, is credited with reviving American-made stained glass during the last two decades of the 19th century. Like his contemporary and rival, Louis Comfort Tiffany, La Farge is recognized for his innovative and experimental work in glass. La Farge was the first designer to use opalescent glass, which became a hallmark of windows by Tiffany and other American stained glass manufacturers. The Patrick Ford residence was built in 1897, but it is believed that this window may have predated the construction of the house. La Farge ran a small stained glass studio in New York City, but his production was fairly limited. The style and fabrication techniques of this window suggest a date of manufacture in the late 1870s or early 1880s, when La Farge had his windows made by the MacPherson Studios in Boston. The window’s original placement in the Ford residence also suggests that the house may have been designed around it.

Place Made

United States, MA, Boston, Jamaica Plain

Physical DescriptionColorless, polychrome transparent and translucent, opalescent and striated probably non-lead glass (wide variety of textures) and lead came, original wood frame;cut glass assembled with lead, some plating, some colorless glass has been fractured. Large, roughly square (slightly taller than wide) panel comprised of small cut pieces of glass assembled with intricate leading; imagery of flower buds and blooms in triangular format filling two thirds of panel extending from lower left corner towards upper right, flowers mostly rendered in burgundy and white striated glass with central blossom partially rendered in faceted colorless and pale amber, top left three-petaled blossom is in a different glass that is broadly mottled red and white (some dark spotty areas - in-between plating?); foliage in varying shades of greens, blues, and amber, some (largely dark green) textured in pronounced ripple pattern, darkest areas at lower left and right corners are front-plated; striated blue and white (with some pink) sky background also partially fabricated of textured glass; still life is surrounded by a wide three-tiered stepped border of intricate interlaced patterning in earth and green/blue tones (exterior band is widest and decorated in abstract floral design of petal shapes and dots with linear edging, middle-border of yellow/green and amber in "chain" pattern punctuated at regular intervals by eight circular small components, inside narrow pinkish band in angular "basket-weave" pattern); original wooden frame painted pale beige; vertical and horizontal metal support bars on back; unsigned.
Provenance

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