The Richard H. Driehaus Stained Glass Collection at Navy Pier

Louis Comfort Tiffany

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) began experimenting with stained glass-making in 1873 and revolutionized the art form in the years that followed. His New York-based Tiffany Studios, though it closed its doors after the artist’s death, is still a name associated with unsurpassed beauty and originality.

Nearly every corner of the Driehaus Museum displays one of Tiffany Studios’ household creations, from the royal blue of peacock feathers on a lampshade to a bouquet of golden glass lilies gracing a chandelier. But Tiffany created more than just objets d’art for home decorative use. Aligning himself with ancient tradition, he made a name for himself designing stained glass windows for public spaces, religious institutions, and private commissions.

The Richard H. Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass

The Richard H. Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass, located near the tip of Chicago’s Navy Pier, immerses visitors in darkened rooms bathed in the glow of 13 of Tiffany’s stained glass windows. In each he reinvents tradition, using new types of glass to awaken the viewer to the subject. With opalescent glass he casts a soft glow on the folds of an angel’s robe. Lined with richly textured ripple glass, a flowing stream seems to gush from the flat surface. In ecclesiastical memorial windows, God-created nature—bright poppies, passionflowers and tree branches—stands in for His divine presence.

Location and Hours

The Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass partners with the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows and is located at 600 East Grand Avenue on Chicago’s Navy Pier. Current hours of operation are Sundays through Thursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free.

 

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