Louis Comfort Tiffany

Sotheby's New York, January 31, 1979, Lot 471

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) considered himself, first and foremost, an artist. He spent his early youth filling sketchbooks with drawings of the surroundings of his childhood home in Irvington, NY. His devotion to scenes of nature was furthered when he studied under George Inness while attending the Eagleswood Military Academy (Perth Amboy, NJ) in the mid-1860s. A decade later, Tiffany was considered a rising star in world of American painting and his works, both in oil and watercolor, were widely exhibited between 1867 and April 1932, less than a year prior to his passing. Many of these works were of the “exotic Orient,” what today is known as North Africa, and featured mosques, colorful souks and bazaars, ancient sites and, of course, palm trees.

Tiffany was so captivated by palm trees that he had two “Palm Houses” constructed at Laurelton Hall, his estate in Oyster Bay, NY and had the trees widely planted between the mansion and the shoreline. Palms were even more resplendent at Comfort Lodge, Tiffany’s estate on Biscayne Bay in Miami. Completed in 1920, Tiffany wintered there almost every year until his death and whatever time wasn’t spent strolling the grounds, playing with his dogs or relaxing on the beach was spent painting the verdant landscape. It was during one of these Florida stays that he was likely inspired to complete the wonderful artwork presented here.

The palms are loosely painted, as was typical of Tiffany’s later style, yet retain a strong sense of size and dimensionality. The small grove of trees is viewed directly from in front yet slightly off center so as to contrast with the indistinct clearing on the right. As Tiffany did so often with his lamps, the palms are shown in all stages of growth, from lush green fronds to those that are brown, curled and fading. The trunks are beautifully handled and a sense of the bark’s varied textures is masterfully presented. Overall, the painting is a superior work that fully displays Louis Tiffany’s maturity as an artist.

-Paul Doros