Louis Sullivan Decorative Panel, 1893 Chicago Stock Exchange

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Louis Sullivan Decorative Panel, 1893 Chicago Stock Exchange

About the Item

The Chicago Stock Exchange, built in 1893 by the Chicago architecture firm of Adler and Sullivan, has been described by LACMA (The Los Angeles County Museum of Art) curator Wendy Kaplan as "the magnum opus of their career". Louis Sullivan, one of the giants of American Architectural History, has one foot in the 19th century and the other in the 20th. His astonishing and elaborate ornamental work, a midwestern species of Art Nouveau, incorporates lush yet architectural ornament into 20th c. building types and materials (though he designed them in the 19th c.) . Ms. Kaplan explains that Sullivan, in his iconic 1892 essay "Ornament in Architecture", "urged architects to think of a building's ornamentation as a 'garment of poetic imagery'". Kaplan also points out that Sullivan "coined the phrase 'form ever follows function'". He designed several of the earliest and most elegant skyscrapers in the world. Frank Lloyd Wright, who worked in Sullivan's office for five years, was clearly a product of Sullivan's ideas and values. The Stock Exchange was demolished in 1972, a loss deeply mourned. It's Banking Hall remains on permanent display in the Chicago Art Institute. Fragments of its remarkable ornament have been preserved throughout America. LACMA has a complete elevator surround which includes a panel like ours - the most substantial element in the assembly - spanning a pair of doors. A photo of theirs is included here. Ms. Kaplan's article in "UnFramed" celebrates the pieces donation to LACMA. Our full panel is an unusually complete and intact element of the building's legendary interior.

Creator:
Louis Sullivan (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 68 in (172.72 cm)Width: 18 in (45.72 cm)Depth: 1.75 in (4.45 cm)
Style:
Art Nouveau (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Copper,Steel,Cast,Plated
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1890-1899
Date of Manufacture:
1893
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Lafayette, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU114329830923