Design for mosaic tablet behind an altar

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

late 19th–early 20th century · Watercolor, white gouache, black ink, and graphite on paper mounted on board in original shaped mat · The American Wing

St. Michael’s Church, at West Ninety-Ninth Street and Amsterdam Avenue, commissioned Tiffany Studios to design a memorial to its prominent benefactor, Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth Zimmerman, following her death in 1918. Consisting of a mosaic panel and altar decorations, the designs also features columns placed in front of the altar that are similar to the ones on display in the Metropolitan’s Charles Engelhard Court. In this watercolor, the columns’ mosaic decoration is sketched in pencil, while the mosaic panel is a photograph of a final design. Using photography in this manner, Tiffany’s designers could efficiently produce multiple copies of the drawing and present churches with alternative versions of altar decorations.

Artist

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

Date

late 19th–early 20th century

Medium

Watercolor, white gouache, black ink, and graphite on paper mounted on board in original shaped mat

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Walter Hoving and Julia T. Weld Gifts and Dodge Fund, 1967