John LaFarge was brought into this world in New York City, the offspring of well-off French emigres. His father sought refuge from the botched Napoleonic voyage to San Domingo. From an early age, LaFarge displayed an aptitude for drawing. Though he received sporadic instruction, he ultimately graduated from the Roman Catholic Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland. In 1856, he ventured to Europe, briefly working under the tutelage of painter Thomas Couture in Paris before embarking on a journey through northern Europe. Upon returning to the United States, he headed to Newport to study under the guidance of William Morris Hunt, where he would eventually cross paths with both William and Henry James (William was also a student of Hunt’s at the time).
LaFarge was amongst the pioneering American artists to import and be swayed by Japanese color prints (1863). In 1886, he journeyed to Japan with Henry Adams, later releasing his publication, An Artist’s Letters from Japan (1897).
LaFarge’s first major commission was a vast undertaking in the form of a series of mural adornments for Richardson’s esteemed Trinity Church in Copley Square, Boston (1876). The two had been close friends for some time prior, with H.H. Richardson emerging victorious in the architectural competition to design the new Trinity Church. In reference to Trinity, LaFarge said, “I was able to propose to Richardson that we alter the entire character of the building… I brought him photographs of Spanish Romanesque churches, such as Avila and others… It was through this that I had the opportunity to embellish Trinity Church, Boston, which was being erected by my friend Richardson, who placed immense trust in me despite having little proof of my capabilities.”
In his lifetime, John LaFarge mastered a revolutionary technique for crafting opalescent glass, leading to numerous commissions from churches and private patrons seeking elaborate stained glass windows. Some of his most notable works were created for Trinity Church in Boston, Harvard’s Memorial Hall, the Church of the Incarnation, and the Paulist Church in New York City. Despite these commissions, LaFarge never abandoned his love for painting and accepting mural projects. One of his most famous mural works is the grand apse painting of the Ascension of Christ at the Church of the Ascension in New York City, which he completed in 1887.
By birth, upbringing, and choice of lifestyle, John LaFarge was a true cosmopolite. Those who knew him personally attested to his remarkable personal charm and magnetism. Amongst those who greatly admired LaFarge’s works was Elihu Vedder, barely a year younger than him and one of the few whose opinions he valued. Vedder spoke highly of LaFarge’s paintings, particularly his skill in conveying intricate thoughts and concepts that render words nearly inadequate.
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