Louis H. Sullivan
American, 1856-1924
System of Architectural Ornament, Plate 19, Untitled
INV-1909
Louis H. Sullivan
American, 1856-19241923
System of Architectural Ornament, Plate 19, Untitled
Louis H. Sullivan American, 1856-1924 →20th Centurydesign drawingarchitectural drawing
Date
1923
Medium
Graphite on Strathmore paper
Dimensions
57.7 × 73.5 cm (22 3/4 × 29 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Commissioned by The Art Institute of Chicago
In 1922 a small group of friends and colleagues worked with the Art Institute to commission a series of drawings from Louis Sullivan illustrating his philosophy of architectural ornament. Completed in the last year of his life, this project—an essay and twenty detailed plates—explores Sullivan’s belief that ornament was the consummate expression of the architect’s intellect and creative freedom, ideas that would have a great impact on the next generation of architects in Chicago. This publication is now understood as one of the most influential statements on modern architecture ever produced.
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