Elevator Grille Ornament from Schlesinger and Mayer Store, Chicago, Illinois
Louis H. Sullivan
1903/04
Medium
Bronze plated cast iron
Dimensions
Diam.: 56 cm (23 5/8 in.)
Classification
architectural fragment
Department
Architecture and Design
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
36536
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Louis Sullivan's vision of architecture was largely independent of historical precedent. His philosophy of architecture and ornament was based on a highly individualistic interpretation that saw the perfect building as one whose physical characteristics expressed factors unique to the building such as materials, structures, site, and function. When Sullivan applied this philosophy to the design of architectural ornament, he developed an organic style, which derived its forms from nature and geom...