Two Books from My Bookshelf

CLARA AND MR. TIFFANY is a novel

about the artistic relationship between

Louis Tiffany and Clara Driscoll.

As a result of recently discovered letters

in the early 2000s, written by Clara,

it appears likely she was the

designer behind the famous

Tiffany lamps.

Clara headed up the

women's department in Tiffany's

glass company in the early 1900s.

The Wisteria Lamp

The Dragonfly Lamp

~~~~~

In the novel, Clara, working under the direction

of Tiffany, is the creative genius behind

the famous stained glass lamps.

Although she and Tiffany are of

like minds in their search for "beauty,"

they are in separate social worlds and

he never gives her full credit for her creations.

The novel, full of social contrast of the time--

men/women, rich/poor, labor/management,

tends to read more like a biography than a novel.

I found the detailed descriptions of glass making

and the artist's process to be a bit tedious.

However, if you are at all interested

in Tiffany glass, it's a definite must read.

Steve Martin's AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY,

is the polar opposite of the first book.

I was very anxious to read this book because

I really like Steve Martin a lot.

He's a real renaissance man,

talented comedian, actor, musician and writer.

This is the first book I've read by him

and I was a bit disappointed.

It's the story of Lacey Yeager,

a young woman climbing her way up

the New York art scene beginning in the 1990s,

when she starts her career in Sotheby's basement.

Martin is an avid art collector

and he knows the art world.

Lacey achieves her success,

but does not manage to keep it.

Sounds like a great novel, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, I never really felt

any connection with her,

so her story never really mattered to me.

(All Google Images)