FROM THE COLLECTION
Albert Goupil’s studio,
c. 1880
Albumen print
Edmond Bénard, French, 1838–1907
8 3/4 x 11 in.
(2015-001:053)
This photograph, showing Albert Goupil’s famous studio, was one of many images in a collection that Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933) had in his workshops for artistic reference. Goupil’s space was referred to as a studio even though he was a collector. In the 1880s, it was described as savant désordre, or a perfectly organized mess, expressing the mixture of styles and periods of art in his rooms. The large fountain in the center of the room is Moorish but set in a basin of Persian ceramic tiles. His collection of carpets and tapestries adorning the floors and walls was considered the best assemblage at that time. Goupil (born 1840) died in 1884, and his collection was given to his brother-in-law, the famous
Orientalist painter, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904) who sold everything in a huge multi-day sale in 1888. All the objects in Goupil’s collection were listed and described in the accompanying auction catalog. Objects were divided into Eastern and Western art, and the pieces within each region included furniture, rugs, tapestries, glass, ceramics, metalwork, and sculptures. Goupil also had a large collection of contemporary paintings from his native France.
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May 11, 2022
Register Now for In-Person Summer Family Programs
Registration is now open for the Morse Museum’s in-person summer family programs beginning in June. This year, elementary-school-aged children and their parents or guardians are invited to learn about botanical and landscape paintings by nineteenth- and twentieth-century American artists. A 40-minute family tour of selected galleries on Tuesdays includes a take-home art activity. A 90-minute family film program on Fridays includes a short film, a tour of selected galleries, and an onsite art activity. Space is limited, and a $5 refundable deposit per person is required when securing a reservation for either program. For more information or to
make reservations, please call (407) 645-5311, extension 136.
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Detail, Cineraria, c. 1880s. Watercolor on paper; Ellen Robbins, American,1828–1905; gift of Theodore E. and Susan Cragg Stebbins (2020-004:32).
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New in the Museum Shop: Color Wheel Earrings
New to the Morse Museum Shop is a set of earrings inspired by the color wheels from Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Long Island estate. Two color wheels, each featuring eight different hues, provided color to the clear glass vase in the reception hall. Those handcrafted wheels overlapped and turned like gears, channeling light from underneath the vase and creating the appearance of an ever-changing vase of glowing color. Designed by David Howell & Company, the earrings render Tiffany’s artful engineering, complete with rotating wheels. Available online or in the Museum Shop.
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Color wheel earrings are now available online and in the Museum Shop.
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Ayer Mansion Treasures Donated to the Morse
One of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s most complete design commissions for a residence was the Ayer Mansion, located on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. For two decades, much of the private mansion was accessible to the public through the nonprofit organization, the Campaign for the Ayer Mansion. A recent sale of the building means this Tiffany treasure will no longer be enjoyed by the public. Fortunately, the Campaign for the Ayer Mansion and Ayer family members generously donated furnishings from this Gilded Age interior to the Morse Museum. The Campaign felt that the Morse Museum would serve as the appropriate custodian, since it is the caretaker of the “lost treasures” of Tiffany’s own home, Laurelton Hall. This fall, the Morse will display these few tangible elements that
remain from the Ayer Mansion—providing a glimpse into the remarkable home.
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Detail of a side chair from the dining room of the Ayer Mansion, Boston; gift of members of the Ayer Family and the Campaign for the Ayer Mansion, Inc. (2022-001:1).
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