LOUIS C. TIFFANY

Many of the drawings document works that have since been lost, damaged, or destroyed, while others showcase ideas for designs that were never realized. The exhibition also brings together extraordinary stained-glass windows, mosaics, enamelwork, and examples of the studio’s iconic lamps in side-by-side displays with their original designs, allowing a rare view of the journey from artistic conception to finished product. Virtually everything produced in Tiffany’s workshops was the result of a collaborative process; the initial steps took place in the studio where artists Tiffany hired—often émigrés and women—realized his vision.

The featured drawings, all from The Met collection, have never before been studied in depth, and the exhibition celebrates the decades-long conservation initiative that restored them to their full beauty. Along with new insights into the artists’ process and design inspiration, the drawings offer a unique opportunity to peel back the layers of some of the most heralded creations produced by Tiffany’s legendary studios.