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Lot Essay
A vision of quiet grandeur, The Falls illustrates a tranquil vista unfolding across a radiant blue and purple plain to distant cobalt mountains, softly silhouetted by the golden light of the sun. Partially veiled by palm trees and flowering forms, the scene is animated by a dramatic waterfall—the defining feature of the composition—fed by a river just visible at the left. Suspended in the cerulean sky above, a luminous crown of life, set with pale red and yellow glass, hovers as a symbol of enduring devotion. The donor of the window, Ellen Wright Boyd, imbued the scene with “the things most loved” by her parents, the commemorated politician, John Boyd, and his beloved young wife, Emily Webster Beers Boyd.
John Boyd was a notable resident of Winsted, Connecticut. His obituary called him “a man of sterling integrity and patriotism.” Boyd was descended from colonial settlers in Connecticut who had fought in the French and Indian War and contributed to the American Revolution. A Yale law graduate and local and state anti-slavery politician, he ran an iron foundry in Winsted. He served as Connecticut Secretary of State and ran for Lieutenant Governor, as well as acting as Winsted Town Clerk and Justice of the Peace. At the age of sixty he volunteered for service in the Civil War, although he was not taken due to his age.
Emily Webster Beers was his first wife and mother to their three children - Ellen, James, and Emily - passing away at the age of thirty-seven, just five months after giving birth to their youngest child. Ellen Wright was their eldest, who lived to the age of 86. She was a teacher all her life, ultimately the Preceptress of St. Agnes School, an Episcopal institution for girls in Albany, New York.
The flowing water evokes the passage of life, bringing a sense of movement to the scene while commemorating Emily and John’s memory. An uncommon foreground feature in Tiffany Studios landscape windows, the dramatic waterfall cascades over jagged rocks and sweeps past delicate purple irises and pale pink lilies, creating remarkable depth and drawing the viewer’s attention to these finest details. While water motifs frequently appeared in Tiffany Studios windows as symbols of life and renewal, waterfalls were typically placed in the distance or used as secondary elements, making this composition especially rare and distinctive.
The foliage recalls everlasting peace. Palm trees evoke warmth, victory and eternal life, while the lilies stand for purity and tranquility, the flower usually associated with resurrection. The brilliant purple irises relieve the dark undergrowth, expressing faith and hope.
The window employs Tiffany’s signature opalescent glass in myriad tones from deepest chocolate brown to glimmering pale blue and white. His artisans selected bits of drapery glass to embody the petals of the lilies, giving them verisimilitude and volume.
Rippled and mottled glass form the palm fronds, suggesting the movement of sun and clouds shading the waving fronds. Hazed glass in the undergrowth and on the leaves of the lilies conveys dappled light in the shadows. A remarkable piece of streamer glass overlays the water at the base of the falls. Milky white strands dance across the surface of almost-clear glass as the foam created by falling water plays at the base of waterfalls.
Thick, hand-faceted chunks of dazzling rose and citrine colored glass decorate the crown. As many as three layers of glass impart depth and distance in the sunset and the water. We can almost see the breeze ruffling the leaves of the palms and hear the rushing falls in this peaceful, contemplative scene.
The Boyd Family Memorial Window encapsulates Tiffany Studios’ extraordinary ability to marry technical innovation with poetic vision. Its richly layered glass and carefully orchestrated composition create a sense of depth, movement, and atmosphere that elevates the landscape beyond mere representation. At once intimate and expansive, the window reflects a profound sensitivity to nature, symbolism, and personal narrative—an enduring example of how stained glass could be transformed into a luminous, immersive work of art.
Distinct within Tiffany’s celebrated body of work, this exceptional window stands apart for its lyrical symbolism, technical brilliance, and refined artistry.
– Julie L. Sloan, consultant in stained glass, writes about windows from her home in Lake Placid, NY. She works on stained-glass conservation projects as well, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, and The Riverside Church in New York.
John Boyd was a notable resident of Winsted, Connecticut. His obituary called him “a man of sterling integrity and patriotism.” Boyd was descended from colonial settlers in Connecticut who had fought in the French and Indian War and contributed to the American Revolution. A Yale law graduate and local and state anti-slavery politician, he ran an iron foundry in Winsted. He served as Connecticut Secretary of State and ran for Lieutenant Governor, as well as acting as Winsted Town Clerk and Justice of the Peace. At the age of sixty he volunteered for service in the Civil War, although he was not taken due to his age.
Emily Webster Beers was his first wife and mother to their three children - Ellen, James, and Emily - passing away at the age of thirty-seven, just five months after giving birth to their youngest child. Ellen Wright was their eldest, who lived to the age of 86. She was a teacher all her life, ultimately the Preceptress of St. Agnes School, an Episcopal institution for girls in Albany, New York.
The flowing water evokes the passage of life, bringing a sense of movement to the scene while commemorating Emily and John’s memory. An uncommon foreground feature in Tiffany Studios landscape windows, the dramatic waterfall cascades over jagged rocks and sweeps past delicate purple irises and pale pink lilies, creating remarkable depth and drawing the viewer’s attention to these finest details. While water motifs frequently appeared in Tiffany Studios windows as symbols of life and renewal, waterfalls were typically placed in the distance or used as secondary elements, making this composition especially rare and distinctive.
The foliage recalls everlasting peace. Palm trees evoke warmth, victory and eternal life, while the lilies stand for purity and tranquility, the flower usually associated with resurrection. The brilliant purple irises relieve the dark undergrowth, expressing faith and hope.
The window employs Tiffany’s signature opalescent glass in myriad tones from deepest chocolate brown to glimmering pale blue and white. His artisans selected bits of drapery glass to embody the petals of the lilies, giving them verisimilitude and volume.
Rippled and mottled glass form the palm fronds, suggesting the movement of sun and clouds shading the waving fronds. Hazed glass in the undergrowth and on the leaves of the lilies conveys dappled light in the shadows. A remarkable piece of streamer glass overlays the water at the base of the falls. Milky white strands dance across the surface of almost-clear glass as the foam created by falling water plays at the base of waterfalls.
Thick, hand-faceted chunks of dazzling rose and citrine colored glass decorate the crown. As many as three layers of glass impart depth and distance in the sunset and the water. We can almost see the breeze ruffling the leaves of the palms and hear the rushing falls in this peaceful, contemplative scene.
The Boyd Family Memorial Window encapsulates Tiffany Studios’ extraordinary ability to marry technical innovation with poetic vision. Its richly layered glass and carefully orchestrated composition create a sense of depth, movement, and atmosphere that elevates the landscape beyond mere representation. At once intimate and expansive, the window reflects a profound sensitivity to nature, symbolism, and personal narrative—an enduring example of how stained glass could be transformed into a luminous, immersive work of art.
Distinct within Tiffany’s celebrated body of work, this exceptional window stands apart for its lyrical symbolism, technical brilliance, and refined artistry.
– Julie L. Sloan, consultant in stained glass, writes about windows from her home in Lake Placid, NY. She works on stained-glass conservation projects as well, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, and The Riverside Church in New York.