Design for a Memorial Tablet

John La Farge's architectural design presents a formal memorial composition in the aesthetic style of the 1890s. The tablet features a central dark blue cartouche inscribed with dates (18XX–1898) and framed by a laurel wreath, flanked by yellow-ochre panels and bordered by red pilasters. Ornamental banding in blue and gold runs along the top, while decorative scrollwork and floral motifs fill the spandrels. The symmetrical layout and rich polychromy reflect La Farge's mastery of decorative design, influenced by his studies of medieval and Renaissance precedents. As both muralist and stained-glass innovator, La Farge brought painterly sophistication to architectural ornament, shaping American interior design through the turn of the century.