125-Year-Old Stained-Glass Window Returned to the Worcester Art Museum 

In 1975, Mount Vernon Congregational Church in Boston, Massachusetts presented the Worcester Art Museum with a gift consisting of two sets of stained-glass windows, one by Louis C. Tiffany and the other by John La Farge. The church’s congregation had moved to a new location and so the stained glass gained a new home.  

The Tiffany window, known as the Angel of Resurrection, consists of three large panels depicting an angelic figure in the centre surrounded by a field of lilies. The Museum was excited to be given such a beautiful set of windows and set aside considerable funds in anticipation of installing them in the museum.  

Unfortunately, the righthand panel displaying part of the sea of lilies never made it to the Worcester Art Museum. The panel was stolen whilst being prepared for transportation to the museum and it was not seen again for over 40 years until the diligent researchers at a New York Auction House checked the panel against the ALR database in 2023 as they had an inkling that the panel may have been the one they knew to be lost. 

Claire Whitner, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Worcester Art Museum, expressed much excitement, when she was notified that the window had been located: “We are grateful to the Art Loss Register for recovering this exquisite stained-glass panel.  Its loss was fresh in our minds as we recently exhibited the Tiffany and LaFarge windows after extensive conservation work sponsored by the Luce Foundation. Given how long ago the window had gone missing, I don’t think many of us expected to have it return so soon. We are equally thankful to the present owner for helping us reunite the Tiffany triptych.” 

The ALR team were quick to compare archival images of the three panels in situ at Mount Vernon Church and noticed that despite missing the top third of the window and the dedication at the bottom, what was left of the panel was visually identical. It’s possible that the panel had been cut down following the theft to anonymize the item and perhaps make it easier to sell, particularly as each panel is over 2 meters tall. 

The consignor to the auction house had acquired the panel in the mid-nineties on the west coast of the USA and was quick to confirm they would like the panel to join its sisters back at the Museum. All parties involved are thrilled that the panel can be returned so the public may enjoy the window in its nearly complete form. 

The ALR was pleased to assist the Worcester Art Museum in this case on a pro-bono basis. Lucy O’Meara, Recoveries Manager, explained “The ALR would like to thank the consignor for their generosity and Worcester Art Museum for trusting the ALR to successfully secure the return of this panel. We are thrilled with the positive outcome.”