Velvet panel

Dorothy Marshall Hornblower|Tiffany Studios

1900–1907 · Velvet · The American Wing

Designed and printed by Hornblower, this velvet panel features pink lotus flowers blooming above the surface of a pond. The stencil design used for the pattern is apparent in the uncolored outlines of the lotus petals and lotus pad veins. The motif is strikingly similar to a stenciled textile showcasing water lilies in the 1914 publication The Art Work of Louis C. Tiffany. This book conveyed Tiffany’s desire to create fabrics that would "express his particular color sense" and "exhibit changes of tint as they fall in folds and catch the light." The reflective quality of this velvet’s silk pile and mottled layers of colors demonstrate these visual effects in changing light. Hornblower worked for Tiffany until her marriage in 1907 and credited him with "open[ing] [her] eyes to things of beauty and…show[ing] [her] techniques of crafts."

Artist

Dorothy Marshall Hornblower|Tiffany Studios

Date

1900–1907

Medium

Velvet

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Lynden B. Miller, in memory of Dorothy Marshall Hornblower, 2009