Stained glass window
This window is securely attributed to Daniel Cottier, a glass stainer and ultimately decorator and dealer who began his career in Glasgow, moved to London where he perfected his mature aesthetic style, and then in 1873 opened a workshop in New York under the name "Cottier & Co., Upholsterers, Fine Cabinet Makers, Glass strainers, etc., Art Rooms." Cottier’s first major stained-glass commission in this country was for Trinity Church in Boston (1878-79), but his work is found in other contexts in the Northeast, earlier and later. He is generally credited with being the first to introduce the Aesthetic style to America.
Cottier, like John La Farge, was among the first to introduce new floral subject matter to stained glass, epitomized by this window. The window relates closely to a three-panel window made for the Newport house of W. Watts Sherman in 1877-78, and now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This is a quintessential Aesthetic window: its subject matter—even the specific floral motifs selected (morning glories, marguerites, and peonies with foliage on a golden trellis); the palette of olive green foliage and deep peacock blue background; and the flat, decorative and asymmetrical composition on a bamboo lattice that connects it to the vogue for Japanese prints. It shows technical innovations in glass that was just becoming available in the blossoms that shade from a rich yellow to a deep rose.
Cottier, like John La Farge, was among the first to introduce new floral subject matter to stained glass, epitomized by this window. The window relates closely to a three-panel window made for the Newport house of W. Watts Sherman in 1877-78, and now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This is a quintessential Aesthetic window: its subject matter—even the specific floral motifs selected (morning glories, marguerites, and peonies with foliage on a golden trellis); the palette of olive green foliage and deep peacock blue background; and the flat, decorative and asymmetrical composition on a bamboo lattice that connects it to the vogue for Japanese prints. It shows technical innovations in glass that was just becoming available in the blossoms that shade from a rich yellow to a deep rose.
Artwork Details
- Title: Stained glass window
- Maker: Daniel Cottier (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1838–1891 Jacksonville, Florida)
- Date: ca. 1877–80
- Culture: American
- Medium: Leaded glass
- Dimensions: 47 × 19 × 1 1/2 in. (119.4 × 48.3 × 3.8 cm)
- Credit Line: Purchase, Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore Foundation Gift, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.1
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Daniel Cottier
Daniel Cottier & Company
ca. 1875–83
Daniel Cottier
Daniel Cottier & Company
ca. 1873–85
John La Farge
ca. 1880
William Jay Bolton
John Bolton
1843–48
Joseph Meeks & Sons
1829–35
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.