Design for window

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

late 19th–early 20th century · Gouache, watercolor and graphite on transparent paper mounted on board in original mat. · The American Wing

This drawing suggests the design process for the first in a series of eight memorial windows executed in 1912 for Congregation Anshe Chesed’s Euclid Avenue Temple, Cleveland, Ohio. Created in consultation with Rabbi Louis Wolsey, these theologically complex windows illustrate the history of Judaism through the Middle Ages. The first window embodies symbols of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Lion of Judah appears in the roundel. The ram Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac is shown atop the flaming altar, under which is set a bundle of sticks. At the bundle’s center, the dagger used by Abraham to slay the ram is depicted. Shepherds’ crooks, a reference to the patriarchs’ occupation, flank the altar. "Shaddai" (God) is written in Hebrew at the center of the cartouche, and the decorative border is punctuated by Stars of David. A note on the right of the mat, "Approved. Lehman & Schmitt", indicates that the drawing was sent by Tiffany Studios to the architects and congregation in Cleveland who approved the design.

Artist

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

Date

late 19th–early 20th century

Medium

Gouache, watercolor and graphite on transparent paper mounted on board in original mat.

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

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