Plaster and paint
Not on view
The Susan Lawrence Dana House, one of Wright’s earliest projects, afforded him the opportunity to experiment with design and construction techniques that would become emblematic of his Prairie Style architecture. Though many European modernists shunned exterior ornament, American practitioners like Wright used it liberally to accentuate structure, with a proclivity toward geometric abstractions of nature. Applied on the upper portions of the exterior, the decorative frieze wraps around the house, forming a richly patterned skin derived from the shape of sumac leaves—a motif applied throughout the house on windows, lamps, and decorative objects.
2020
Gallery label from Shaping Modernity 1880–1980 , March 28, 2012–September 8, 2013.
Wright, born in Wisconsin and based in Chicago, is known for developing Prairie Style architecture, which is characterized by low, horizontal roofs, gently sloped gables, rows of continuous windows, wide overhanging eaves, a central hearth, an open plan, and undisguised building materials. The Dana House, one of Wright’s earliest projects, afforded him the opportunity to experiment with many design and construction techniques he would implement in his later works. Though many European modernists shunned exterior ornament, American practitioners like Wright used it liberally to accentuate structure, with a proclivity toward geometric abstractions of nature. Applied on the upper portions of the exterior, the decorative frieze wraps around the house, forming a richly patterned skin derived from the shape of sumac leaves—a thematic ornamental element applied throughout the house on windows, lamps, and decorative objects.
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Frank Lloyd Wright
American, 1867–1959 124 works onlineA pragmatist, technical innovator, and independent thinker, Frank Lloyd Wright designed cities and buildings and their interior furnishings across a prolific 72-year career, reflecting his vision of an ideal American society.
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