Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows

PAIR OF ART NOUVEAU FIGURES, c. 1900
Designed and fabricated by an unidentified studio. Probably made in Chicago, for a door or a
bookcase.
18 1/2" H x 12 1/2" W SM 1026 A (cornucopia), B (harp, music)
The technical and artistic similarities of these two pieces indicate them to be a pair, probably
installed originally together.
One floating female figure with flowers in her hair distributes flowers from a cornucopia, while the
other one plays a trumpet and holds a lyre.
The depiction of allegorical figures, almost always female, holding symbols associated with
nature and culture, here the concept of fruitfulness, fertility and music, was very common in
Western European art from Roman times to the early 20th century.
The applying of a very thin layer of glass atop a thicker layer of glass is called flashing. To create
the image, a bees wax resist in the shape of the desired composition is placed on the flashed red
glass. When the composition is immersed in hydroflouric acid, only those parts not covered by
glass are attacked and etched away, resulting in a frosty clear background and some body parts
lighter red than others. The glass etching process is similar to etching a copper plate for
engraving.
Etching flashed glass became very popular in the course of the 18th century, and continued so
until the early 20th entury. Because it is easier to reproduce delicate features in glass than by
cutting with a machine, etching of glass has again become popular since the 1980s.
Images such as these were mass-produced and commonly employed in doors or bookcases.
Given their popularity in the 19th century, the scarcity of these windows today is something of a
surprise, but for many years they were thought expendable and not saved.
PAIR OF FLOWERING RED BRANCHES, c. 1880s
Unidentified designer and fabricator. Possibly made in Chicago.
42" H x 36" W, each SM 1025 A, B
An overall frosted sheet of thin glass is covered in various patterns, reminding the viewer of the
eclectic nature of Victorian delights. Translucent scrolls of ribbons and flowers encircle an
elaborate central cartouche filled with a flowering branch. The naturalism of the branch is
emphasized in separate color and relief. The color is achieved through flashed on glass. The
relief is the result of etching. The butterflies add a fuller feel of nature.
Windows such as these filled the front door of homes. Their function was to obstruct the viewer's gaze while allowing light to pass into the hall. The foliage is a hint of Japanism and allusion to the
broader world of American Victorian aesthetics.