Private Collection, California
Sotheby’s New York, March 7, 1987, lot 154
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist’s Country Estate, New York, 2006, pp. 94-95 (for a related “Wisteria Trellis” window ensemble at Laurelton Hall)
Timeless Beauty, The Art of Louis Comfort Tiffany, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Atglen, PA, 2016, pp. 114-115 (for the above mentioned window ensemble)

Overall in very good condition. This elegant wisteria composition is executed in a vibrant color palette. The wisterias, which are plated on the reverse to enhance their coloration and dimensionality, are executed in a range of violet, sapphire, and pink tones, which are beautifully contrasted by the bright shamrock and yellow-green leaves. The background displays a gentle powder blue tone with inflections of pink and cornflower blue, evoking a late afternoon or early evening sky. This window is executed in a concave format, suggesting it was likely part of a multi-panel bay window scheme. The window with approximately 12 hairline cracks dispersed throughout, stable. The window with some traces of light surface soiling throughout. The cames with some minor traces of corrosion, consistent with age. The horizontal support bars on the front of the window are likely replaced, and are filed down at the edges at the outer side borders of the panel so as not to be obtrusive to the window in its current installation in a wood frame. The reverse of the window with some traces of excess putty in the contours adjacent to the leading, suggesting it was likely installed in the past as an exterior window. The wood frame is a later replacement and presents with scattered surface scratches, abrasions, and wear. The window has been set with silicone into the frame in order to ensure stability of the panel. The wood frame with some traces of silicone, not visible when the window is installed. A very elegant window composition displaying strong coloration and visual movement.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The wisteria was one of Tiffany Studio’s most frequent and most beautiful floral emblems in both windows and lampshades.  Louis C. Tiffany used it extensively in his own home, Laurelton Hall in Oyster Bay, Long Island. In this depiction, its lush blue and lavender blooms arch into the scene from the top of the opening, framing it with sinuous, coiled trunks and branches.  This window, with its curved frame, was likely part of a larger ensemble of several panels that perhaps graced a stair landing or a sitting room.

JULIE SLOAN