Armorial Composition

John La Farge, artist

1835–1910

Armorial Composition, circa 1897

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: watercolor; graphite; paper

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 27.4 x 9.5 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 107 7/8 x 37 3/8 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 30.2 x 12.4 cm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 118 7/8 x 48 13/16 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 19 x 14 in

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 0000.0167

Not on display

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Civic Leader and Art Collector: Sallie Casey Thayer and an Art Museum for KU

Many of La Farge’s stained glass windows were designed as memorials for the people who commissioned them. This composition references the medieval European practice of displaying arms and armor, known as “funerary achievements,” above the tombs of knights or noblemen as a symbol of martial identity and as an evocation of the physical presence of the deceased. Here, La Farge substitutes a classical Roman breastplate and helmet for medieval styles of armor, and situates the meaningful objects within a frame that merges Gothic and Renaissance architectural motifs. Thus, this image demonstrates both the commemorative content and the richly layered imitation of styles for which La Farge was known.