Tiffany, Louis Comfort (1848-1933), was a major stained-glass designer. He was an important American figure in the establishment of an international art style called Art Nouveau. The style flourished from about the 1890’s to about 1910 (see Art Nouveau ).
Tiffany was born on Feb. 18, 1848, in New York City. Charles Lewis Tiffany, his father, founded a famous jewelry business. Tiffany began his career as a painter, but soon developed an interest in the decorative arts, especially stained glass. In 1879, he formed a partnership with several modern artists. The firm specialized in contemporary interior design. In 1880, Tiffany took out a patent for colored glass that was iridescent–that is, it changed colors when viewed from different angles. In 1885, he formed his own glass company. In 1894, Tiffany registered the name Favrile to describe his handmade works in iridescent glass. He died on Jan. 17, 1933.
