Lamp
Creator of the interiors of Radio City Music Hall, Deskey is a towering figure in modern design. His lamp is a response to the upward thrust of the New York skyline. Its boxy proportions echo a tall, narrow building, while, on the two side panels, rectilinear puzzlelike patterns similarly evoke compressed architectural forms. The use of frosted glass in different textures activates the lamp’s surface, even as it diffuses the emitted light. The lamp’s compactness attests to Deskey’s awareness that he was typically designing for small domestic interiors.
Artwork Details
- Title: Lamp
- Designer: Donald Deskey (American, Blue Earth, Minnesota 1894–1989 Vero Beach, Florida)
- Maker: Deskey-Vollmer, Inc.
- Date: ca. 1927
- Medium: Glass, chrome-plated brass and painted wood
- Dimensions: 11 × 8 3/4 × 5 1/2 in., 5.9 lb. (27.9 × 22.2 × 14 cm, 2.7 kg)
- Classification: Lighting
- Credit Line: Purchase, Theodore R. Gamble Jr. Gift, in honor of his mother, Mrs. Theodore Robert Gamble, 1982
- Object Number: 1982.33
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Donald Deskey
Lesher, Whitman and Company
ca. 1930
Donald Deskey
1932
Donald Deskey
Deskey-Vollmer, Inc.
ca. 1928
Donald Deskey
Royal Metal Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Illinois
ca. 1939
Donald Deskey
ca. 1927
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.