Woman in the Window: Tiffany's Masterpiece Reunited

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With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the Library

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The Goode Works on Paper Center houses nearly 10,000 photographs, drawings, prints, and other works on paper.
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Tiffany Studios (American, 1902–1932), *Woman in a Pergola with Wisteria*, 1911, Leaded glass with copper foil, stain, and enamel, Chrysler Museum of Art, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., 78.477, and Museum Purchase with Funds from the L. & J. Goldrich Foundation, 2025.71

One of the Chrysler Museum of Art’s most beloved works, Woman in a Pergola with Wisteria, has captivated visitors for decades. Created around 1911 for the lavish Long Island estate of Captain Joseph Raphael De Lamar, this monumental Tiffany stained-glass window will now be reunited with its three lost transom panels. For the first time in fifty years, viewers will be able to experience the work as originally intended while uncovering the remarkable story behind its enigmatic figure.

Clara Driscoll (American, 1861-1944), Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company (American, 1892 - 1902), *Wisteria Lamp*, ca. 1901, Leaded glass with bronze base, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., 71.6932

During America’s Gilded Age, Louis Comfort Tiffany was one of the nation’s most sought-after designers and Tiffany Studios was known for filling wealthy homes with elegant decorative objects, including innovative stained-glass lamps and windows. Landscapes and florals were common subjects, while figural works were typically allegorical, mythological, or religious in nature. Woman in a Pergola is none of these.

Recent research has identified the figure as celebrated American opera singer Lillian Nordica, depicted in her role as the heroine from Giuseppe Verdi’s popular opera Aïda. Nordica and De Lamar shared a close friendship, and the captain asked the singer to marry him twice over the course of thirty years. Although their union never came to pass, De Lamar immortalized his lifelong and unrequited love through this monumental stained-glass window.

*Lillian Nordica wearing a Tiffany & Co. diamond tiara*, ca. 1896–1905. Nordica Memorial Association, courtesy of Vintage Maine Images (www.VintageMaineImages.com)

Woman in the Window: Tiffany’s Masterpiece Reunited pairs the reunited panels with costumes, jewelry, photographs, and letters to reveal Nordica’s career and her decades-long relationship with De Lamar. The exhibition also explores the artistry of Tiffany Studios and the role of women performers in shaping the decorative arts.

“Woman in the Window: Tiffany’s Masterpiece Reunited” is presented by Connie and Marc Jacobson, organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art and curated by Carolyn Swan Needell, Barry Curator of Glass. Transom Windows purchased with funds from the Jan and Larry Goldrich Foundation.

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