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King Arthur Mural (16' x 6') by Peter Ostuni for Savoy-Plaza Hotel 1951

About the Item

Astonishingly beautiful and monumental mural spanning eleven individual panels which when assembled are 16 feet long by 6 feet high. The panels are reverse paint and applique on sheets of Plexiglass and were painted by Peter Ostuni (American, 1908-1992) in 1951 for the lobby bar of the Savoy-Plaza Hotel at Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Street, New York City under design firm Tom Lee Ltd. (Don and Betty Draper of Mad Men celebrated Valentine's Day 1962 at the Savoy Plaza with drinks and room service). The hotel was built in 1927, was known as the Savoy-Hilton between 1958-1962 then, after the World's Fair, demolished in 1965 to make way for Skidmore Owens & Merrill's General Motors skyscraper. In 1965 the mural was purchased by playwright Joseph Hayes who installed it in his Connecticut Tudor castle home where it has been for the past ~40 years. See photos of a Savoy-Hilton brochure circa 1959 (courtesy of the Hospitality Industry Archives). In situ the hotel bar the eleven panels were set within a large backlit frame mounted to the wall above the bar. In the home of Joseph Hayes (image 9) the panels slid into sections of half inch aluminum channel which were attached to the frame for a backlit wall. We suggest that each panel be framed individually then displayed together mounted to a light box. For best appearance and to achieve the intended effect of stained glass window backlighting should be evenly distributed. Please contact to discuss. Peter Ostuni, painter and enamelist, studied at the Cooper Union and was a professor of art at Kirkland College. Through the Virginia Frankel Gallery of New York sInce 1951 he was commissioned each year to create panels or murals out of vitreous enamel, illuminated walls out of laminated plastic, free standing walls, as well as bas reliefs of cast stone for various national corporations including the 1964 New York World's Fair, to Park Sheraton hotel banquet halls in New York to the Fort Worth Children's Museum as well as vitreous panels for more than six ocean liners, including the famous Navajo Lounge on the SS United States. We have collected an extensive archive of supporting documentation.
  • Creator:
    Peter Ostuni (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 72 in (182.88 cm)Width: 196 in (497.84 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 14
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Plexiglass
  • Place of Origin:
    United States
  • Period:
    1950-1959
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Early 1950's
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
  • Seller Location:
    Hanover, MA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU8866757967