(Above) This art piece is called Autumn Vines and shows Louis Comfort Tiffany’s view of the beauty of nature. The green colored glass pieces are supposed to represent bushes and vines, while the other colors are different types of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Louis Comfort Tiffany’s goal for this piece was to show the visitors the full and best view of nature. The statue behind the door panels is supposed to represent the perspective of walking through that beauty of nature and how nothing is holding back that beauty.
In the past few years, Tiffany & Co. jewelry has become a very popular brand due to its unique style in jewelry. The original creator of Tiffany, Louis Comfort Tiffany, started his career in the 1870s and created many beautiful pieces. He did not just generate jewelry but also art, including stained glass, pottery, lamps, and more. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park has become the ultimate place to explore the history of Tiffany and his creations. The museum carries the largest collection of nineteenth- to twentieth-century American art pieces, including original pieces of Tiffany jewelry. The museum shows why it is important to know the story of Louis Comfort Tiffany, since his work has been famous for more than a century. Even a simple luxury brand can have a bigger impact on society.
According to morsemuseum.org, the museum was founded in 1942 by Jeannette Genius McKean. She is the granddaughter of Charles Hosmer Morse, who was known to be an industrialist and used manufactured machinery by Morse & Co. to support the Industrial Revolution. Jeannette Genius McKean and her husband assembled the Tiffany collection, which took over several decades to acquire. To help support the museum without any public funds, they set up the Charles Hosmer Morse Foundation and the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation. To this day, the dedication of Jeannette Genius McKean and her husband preserves a legacy that Louis Comfort Tiffany left behind with his art.
(Above) This art piece portrays the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ as an infant being blessed by seven angels. There are many religious art pieces in the museum, most depicting Jesus Christ. Although all are different pieces, all of them represent the divinity and grace represented symbolically that is generally in many religious pieces. (Hiba Bilal)(Above) As visitors enter the museum, they are first greeted with all of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass pieces. All of the pieces in the museum are created using leaded glass, and each creation has its own story. These stained glass pieces have different patterns and colors that depict religious themes, nature, and powerful monarchs. Many visitors can see the true beauty and attention to detail in Tiffany’s stained glass pieces close up. (Hiba Bilal)(Above) Halfway through the museum is where visitors will start seeing bigger stained glass pieces. This stained glass is entitled Maiden Feeding Flamingoes in the Court of a Roman House. According to the morsemuseum.org, this art piece was exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, in 1893. As the title states, the glass depicts a Roman woman in drapes feeding flamingoes. This art piece uses less bright and bold colors but focuses more on white. The color white symbolizes peace and innocence, and flamingoes symbolize elegance and beauty, which is what Tiffany was portraying in the glass. (Hiba Bilal)
Hiba Bilal, grade 11, is the Co-editor for Lake Highland Preparatory School’s newspaper Twice-Told Tale. Hiba started writing for the school’s newspaper during her Freshman year of high school, and she is back for her Junior year, which will be her second year on the newspaper staff. Additionally, she has been at Lake Highland Preparatory School since sixth grade which is approximately five years now. She loves to explore topics and mostly covers reviews and entertainment pieces. She hopes one day in the future to become a doctor and to become an author. When not writing, Hiba loves to read books and play volleyball. Additionally, she loves to write and publish poetry for The America Library of Poetry.
