Peacock Mosaic, from the entrance hall of the Henry O. Havemeyer house, New York / Louis Comfort Tiffany

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Record Details

Accession Number
1986.146.9
Title
Peacock Mosaic, from the entrance hall of the Henry O. Havemeyer house, New York
Artist Nationality
American
Artist Life Dates
1848-1933
Object Creation Date
1890-1891
Object Creation Place
North and Central America (continent)
United States (nation)
New York (state)
Creation Place 2
United States (nation)
Creation Place 3
New York (state)
Style/Group/Movement
Art Nouveau
Dimensions
132.08 cm x 162.6 cm x 10.16 cm (52 in. x 64 in. x 4 in.)
Century
19th century
Primary Object Classification
Decorative Arts
Primary Object Type
architectural element
Secondary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Secondary Object Type
mosaic
Physical Description
Two male peacocks in profile face one another at the center. The work has a strong vertical axis, accented by several larger domed and carbochon glass elements. The peacocks stand upon a curling vine-like design of tan tesserae upon a deep blue field of tesserae interspersed with round malachite-colored pieces of glass. The areas behind the peacocks consists of round white and hexagonal tesserae that move from deep blue to a pale tan/green color. At the central vertical axis are several abstract pieces of opaque brown, orange and blue glass.
Subject Matter
This mosaic, which was located in the entrance hall of the Havemeyer house, is a tour de force of mosaic composition. Tiffany plays with the tensions of two and three dimensions in this work. The overall design is one of profuse linear richness mirrored on either side of a central vertical axis, much as you would find in a heraldic arrangement of animals in a coat-of-arms. However, against the insistent flat and curvilinear patterns erupt three-dimensional pieces of glass (domed and carbachon) that break the two-dimensional plane of the work. In addition, the bodies of the peacocks are composed of wavy, three-dimensional glass that evoke the mass of the birds' bodies. The richness of coloration and complexity of glass patterns and motifs in this mosaic demonstrate Tiffany's skills at their height.
Primary Keywords
architectural elements
mosaics
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Technical Details

Image Size
1101 x 875
File Size
161 KB
Record
1986.146.9
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1986.146.9/1986.146.9.jpg

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"Peacock Mosaic, from the entrance hall of the Henry O. Havemeyer house, New York; Louis Comfort Tiffany." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1986.146.9/1986.146.9.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 19, 2024.
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