Lunette and decorative panel by Louis Henri Sullivan

Lunette and decorative panel 1884 - 1885

carving, relief, terracotta, architecture

art-nouveau

carving

relief

geometric

terracotta

decorative-art

architecture

This set of terracotta panels, created by Louis Sullivan between 1884 and 1885, exemplifies the architect's signature organic ornamentation style. The panels, now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, feature stylized floral motifs with a strong emphasis on geometric forms and flowing lines. This piece embodies Sullivan's belief in the "form follows function" principle, demonstrating how decorative elements could be integrated into functional building elements. These panels are a testament to Sullivan's artistic vision and his influence on the development of early modern architecture.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Louis Sullivan designed these terracotta panels for the exterior of the Scoville Building in Chicago, one of the Adler and Sullivan firm's earliest commissions. It required them to remodel an existing Adler structure to accord with a new, much larger addition. The terracotta pieces shown here formed part of the organic decoration of stylized plants with which Sullivan tied the two buildings together. This lunette ornamented the arch above the windows of the top (fifth) story. It has an undulating design of ferns unfurling and would have complemented other organically-inspired terracotta pieces throughout the exterior.