Louis Comfort Tiffany

Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 - January 17, 1933) was an American artist most famous for his Art Nouveau pieces in stained glass. He also painted, and designed jewellery and furniture.

Louis was born on February 18 1848, the son of Charles Lewis, who was the founder of a jewellery company. Louis' first artistic training was as a painter, studying under George Inness. At the age of 24 he became interested in glassmaking and in 1885 he founded his own glassmaking firm. He invented a process for making opalescent glass, which he promoted while most other artists believed clear stained glass to be superior. Both points of view were motivated by the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement that had been founded by William Morris in England. One of Comfort's opponents in this argument was the rival glassmaker John La Farge (1835-1910).

In 1893 his company introduced a new technique, "Favrile", for making hand-blown vases and bowls. Much of his other work was in making glass picture windows, but his company designed a complete range of interior decorations. He used all his skill in the design of his own house, Laurelton Hall, in Oyster Bay, Long Island, completed in 1904.

Among the companies that he founded were L.C. Tiffany & Associated Artists, the Tiffany Glass Company, Tiffany Studios, Tiffany Furnaces and the L.C. Tiffany Furnaces.

L. C. Tiffany died on January 17 1933 and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Many examples of his work are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.