Customer Reviews

The Mosaics of Louis Comfort Tiffany

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a must have for those who've enjoyed the beauty of Tiffany glass, Tiffany mosaics or Tiffany jewelry at any time in their lives. Well-researched and beautifully illustrated, it covers not only the life and influences of the man himself - a true lover of art and beauty in every sense of the word - but provides a close-up look at his marvelous works.

L.C. Tiffany's breathtakingly beautiful stained glass and detailed mosaics are among America's national treasures, adorning countless cathedrals and public buildings, including the U.S. Mint. His techniques in Favrile glass set new standards, and his art studios were devoted to the creation of beauty in many forms: enamels, art pottery, jewelry and metalwork, even decorative desk sets.

Every turn of the page in this book brings beauty to the reader, and it should be savored slowly, one page at a time.

I like this book, even if the pictures are sometimes not very clear. It is a very complete presentation of the mosaic work of Tiffany.

The Tiffany name is synonymous with elegance and beauty with respect to the creation of functional as well as decorative glass artifacts ranging from jewelry to lamps created from 1880 to 1931, and is closely associated with the homes of the wealthy and culturally elite. One of those areas of particular elegance was in the creation of Tiffany glass mosaics designed for palatial homes of the affluent, public buildings, and churches. In "The Mosaics of Louis Comfort Tiffany, mosaic and stained glass artist and teacher Edith Crouch has compiled more than seventy superbly illustrated examples of Tiffany's best work. Informed and informative, "The Mosaics Of Louis Comfort Tiffany" also provides a wealth of background information on the mosaic artists who worked with Louis Tiffany, provides readers with a glossary of terms, a chronology of Tiffany's life with respect to his mosaic creations, and a complete listing of the locations of his mosaic masterpieces. A seminal work that will prove indispensable to students of Louis Tiffany's mosaic artistry, "The Mosaics Of Louis Comfort Tiffany" is an impressive and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Ms. Crouch has created the definitive book on Tiffany's mosaics. It is comprehensive, meaty, full of beautiful pictures, and an interesting "read". (Ms. Crouch's middle name is, appropriately, "Read"). Can this book be enjoyed solely for its pictures? Is it a book to appeal to casual art lovers? Is it a scholarly work? The answer to all of these is "yes". This book will have broad appeal ranging from the serious students of Tiffany's work to those of us who enjoy simply looking at beautiful works of art and learning more about them.

Ms. Crouch has spent a lifetime researching Tiffany and stained glass, as well as being a stained glass artist herself. "The Mosaics of Louis Comfort Tiffany" was a labor of love, and that love shines through page after page. This is truly a great "Read".

By the way, one of the other reviews indicated that the pictures look like they were taken "by a cell phone camera when the tour guide wasn't looking". Besides that not being true, it implies the photos were taken without the proper permissions. That comment is slanderous and that review should be taken down for that reason alone.

Take a look at the pictures and judge for yourself. The book and the photos are beautiful.

GOOD: a must have for those who study Tiffany. Because there's not another one out.

BAD: The photographs are HORRIBLE. Most are taken by a relative of the author (perhaps her husband) and they are the pentacle of amateur, gosh-I-got-a-camera mediocrity. The photos appear not to have been professionally edited, color corrected, contrast adjusted, or particularly well printed. I've seen jilted teens that were less gloomy. Every one of his photographs is a frustrating visual disappointment contrasted by other photographs in the book by professional photographers that show the true beauty of Tiffany's work.

The reader will get the feeling that many of the shots were taken by a cell phone camera when the tour guide wasn't looking. (Apparently, Mr. Crouch schedules his tours to coincide with total eclipses.) Oddly, there are better pictures available on Flickr -- FAR better pictures -- from people who probably had the same tour guides. They just went when the electricity was working.

I hope this book prompts someone who loves Tiffany and appreciates what a professional photographer can bring to shoot a better book.

OVERALL: Great to have until a good one comes out.