Tile
Medium
tiles
Classification
tiles
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Marcia and William Goodman
Accession Number
1983-88-13
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This exquisite tile from the Grue Faience Company, between 1905 and 1909 in Revere, Massachusetts, exemplifies innovative spirit of early 20th-century American ceramics. Founded in 1895 by Williametze and Addison LeBoutillier, with designer William Grueby at the helm, the company specialized in faience—earthenware coated with colorful, glossy glazes. Operating until 1908 (with some production extending slightly beyond), Grueby became synonymous with the Arts and Crafts movement, rejecting industrialized uniformity for handcrafted beauty inspired by nature. Grueby's tiles, often featuring orga...