Louis Comfort Tiffany | Items for sale, auction results and history

Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer. He was famous for his stained glass innovations and for founding Tiffany Studios. Born in New York City in 1848, he was the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany & Co. Louis began his career as a painter, studying under American landscape artists George Inness and Samuel Colman. He travelled extensively across Europe, North America and North Africa to paint.

Beginning in the late 1870s, Tiffany turned his attention to decorative arts and interiors. He explored a range of artistic and decorative medium, including stained glass, mosaics, lighting, pottery, metalwork, enamels, jewellery and interiors. He is best known for his multicoloured, opalescent, leaded-glass windows, chandeliers and lamps. A key figure in the Art Nouveau movement, he is famous for his nature-inspired designs. They often feature dragonflies, lilies and wisteria. In 1893, he pioneered the use of Favrile glass, an iridescent glass that shimmers and change colour in different lighting. Art Nouveau Favrile glass became a hallmark of Tiffany Studios creations and was trademarked by the company in 1894.

A major achievement in Tiffany’s career was the creation of Laurelton Hall, his grand estate on Long Island. Laurelton Hall, built in the early 1900s, showcased Tiffany’s vision. It had rooms with his custom stained glass, lights and furniture. The gardens, also designed by Tiffany, incorporated many of his glass creations. Although Laurelton Hall was largely destroyed by fire in 1957, 24 years after Tiffany’s death in 1933. Parts of the collection are preserved in the Louis C. Tiffany Garden Museum Collection, while other works from Laurelton Hall can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York along with other important works from his career.

Works by Tiffany Studios continue to have strong international appeal at auction. Pieces featuring floral or organic motifs and vibrant colours are among the most in demand. In 2018, Christie’s sold a rare Tiffany Studios Pond Lily Lamp for US$3,372,500, setting a new world record for Tiffany Studios at auction. In 2022, Christie’s sold a Tiffany Studios Hanging Head Dragonfly Chandelier for US$1,008,000, setting a record for a chandelier at auction.