This is the study of American Aesthetic Movement and the Louis Comfort Tiffany's Decorative art. At first, I supposed that Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) was the most successful American Aesthete. He insisted that he pursuit of ‘quest of beauty’ entire his art life at the speech in 1919 retrospective exhibition. The ‘quest of beauty’ is one of creeds of Aestheticism became known through the famous English aesthete Oscar Wilde lectured at the American tour lecture in 1882-1883. Interestingly Wilde also addressed English Arts & Crafts Movement and the ideas of John Ruskin at the lectures. So American public and artists could be accepted both English decorative art movements synthetically. That resulted many of artists turned their focus on decorative art media or decorative art production, as like interior design, stained glass, art pottery, etc. To American artist, interior decoration was another medium for artistic experiment or art-making to realize ideal beauty in everyday life. To beautify everyday life and environment with artistic utilitarian goods was the goal of William Morris(1834-96)' who the leader of Arts & Crafts Movement, so as to Louis Tiffany. Then, Louis Tiffany tried to show his individuality by the eclectic synthesis of the Oriental-Western styles. He synthesized Western & Oriental arts of disparate region or ages uniquely. Finally, his eclectic design method would be applied for creating interiors to artistic unity. Because of Louis Tiffany was a Colorist painter and American Aesthetic Movement artist also, he searched for beauty and wished to express the beautiful ‘color and light’ effect through his art. To accomplish this artistic goal, he used oil and watercolor paints, from opaque to transparent and also translucent at the same time. At last, he developed the ‘Favrile glass’ to describe the colored light, coloring, shades and gradations more than paintings do. Furthermore, he used a variety of decorative media like glass, enamel, jewel and textile for the natural/artistic reproduction of color and light effect in nature. What was the reason for Louis Tiffany's pursuit of naturalism in his product design? The reason was that he sympathized with the John Ruskin's design concept with ‘garden room’ interior design. He tried to depict natural landscape or garden flowers and vegetables on the stained glass windows, glass vases, lamp shades, enamel work, jewelry to construct Aesthetic-practical garden room. That was also the way to be accomplished the authentic goal of Morris' Arts & Crafts Movement.So he incorporated various art companies and then developed art industry complex. He was also an entrepreneur who produced variety of household products industrially. The reason is that he hoped to realize the ideal of William Morris. Who advocated to beautify the interior and daily life for the public. But real consumers of the Morris products were only the wealthiest high class in England and also in America. However, Louis Tiffany's decorative art work differentiated from the Morris'. Because he wanted to answer the demand for consumer democracy. Therefore, he pursued artistic & economic goals simultaneously through his art enterprises as he accepted Aestheticism and Arts & Crafts Movement together. To realize this double goal, he produced kinds of decorative arts and household goods as the colorist artist- aesthete entrepreneur.

1. 들어가며 : 탐미주의자 루이스 컴포트 티파니
 2. 미국 탐미주의 운동: 탐미주의의 미국적 수용
 3. 탐미적 미의 탐구와 미술가의 장식미술 작업
  (1) 예술 통일체로서의 실내 장식
  (2) 장식미술 매체의 색-광 효과 탐구
  (3) 실내에 자연을 도입하는 가정용품의 생산
 4. 나오며: 루이스 티파니와 윌리엄 모리스

• 김호정(중앙대학교) | Kim HoChung