Riddle of America, The - Waldorf Research Institute

Figure 8. John La Farge, Hollyhocks and Cherry Blossoms Windows, c. 1882, leaded opalescentglass, originally on the stair landing, Ames-Webster House, Boston; now St. Louis Art Museum“corrugated” glass, graphic use of different widths of lead strips betweenglass sections for linear and chiaroscuro effects, and many more. Art criticsof the period spoke of “painting with glass” on “crystal canvases” (Figure 8).The initial glass types, innovative techniques, and original expressionsworked out by La Farge were further expanded by Louis ComfortTiffany, his wealthy contemporary and rival. Both artists also used the newmedium to explore the flatness and asymmetrical composition they wereobserving in Japanese prints. The hundreds of opalescent glass artists,known collectively as the American School, could be said to have combined112