Entrance, Farwell Building

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

late 19th–early 20th century · Black ink and graphite with watercolor and compass construction on wove paper, mounted on illustration board · The American Wing

Commissioned by the Detroit architects Rogers & Bonnah, Tiffany Studios proposed this ornate, Renaissance-inspired design for the Farwell Building’s bronze entrance. The finished quality of the drawing diminishes from left to right, a technique commonly seen in Tiffany Studios’ design drawings. The single line of blue watercolor in the left door suggests glass, which would allow light into the building’s central lobby. When the building opened in March 1915, newspapers praised Tiffany Studios’ ornament as, “one of the most artistic pieces of designing and workmanship in the country.”

Artist

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

Date

late 19th–early 20th century

Medium

Black ink and graphite with watercolor and compass construction on wove paper, mounted on illustration board

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

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