Book Minute

The word “Tiffany” brings to mind fine jewelry and decorative art, but at the turn of the nineteenth century, designer Louis Comfort Tiffany was known for his glass work, particularly his stained glass windows. Rich in meaning and symbolism, stained glass windows were often used in churches as a teaching tool for helping supplement the text of the Bible.

Tiffany’s innovations in multi-colored glass images are particularly evident in his window portraits “Easter Morning” and “The Four Evangelists”—originally installed in the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Orange, New Jersey. Tiffany was known for several unique techniques, including layering glass, in some cases four layers thick.

These techniques took advantage of the movement of light through the layers to produce a magnificent result.