Vase 1893 - 1896

This vase was made by Louis Comfort Tiffany, but we can't give it an exact date. Tiffany was a leading figure in the American Art Nouveau movement and the Arts and Crafts movement. Tiffany's work embodies the spirit of innovation and experimentation that characterized the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His glassworks emerged during a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the United States, as well as growing interest in art for everyday use. The vase’s swirling patterns and iridescent colors reflect the influence of natural forms. This aesthetic was embraced in response to the mass-produced, standardized goods of the industrial age. Tiffany aimed to elevate the decorative arts to the level of fine art. The Art Nouveau movement sought to integrate art into all aspects of life, rejecting the rigid hierarchies of the art world and promoting the idea of art as an accessible and integral part of society. Historians and art critics draw on a wealth of primary and secondary sources to understand art's place in its time. They examine exhibition catalogs, period reviews, and other documents to understand its meaning, a meaning that is always reliant on social and institutional context.