Lunette and decorative panel 1884 - 1885

Louis Henri Sullivan made this lunette and decorative panel from terracotta. Sullivan’s designs are a powerful statement about the importance of ornament in architecture at a key moment of change in American cities. Made for commercial buildings, it represents a conscious effort to integrate art into everyday life. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the availability of new materials like steel and glass allowed for the construction of taller and more elaborate buildings. The style is forward-thinking and also evokes the natural world. The use of terracotta was an economical option for elaborate decoration. Sullivan saw architecture as a social art, and he believed that buildings should be designed to uplift and inspire the people who used them. By studying Sullivan's original drawings, historical photographs, and architectural fragments, we can better understand his vision for a democratic and distinctly American architecture. Art is always contingent on social and institutional context.