Panel from the Rothschild Building, Chicago

1880–81

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 701

The most famous Chicago architect, after his one-time draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959), Louis Sullivan worked for Dankmar Adler as a designer between 1879 and 1883. Sullivan is credited with playing an integral role in the design of the Rothschild Building, which served as a salesroom and manufacturing plant for E. Rothschild and Brothers, a clothing firm. Although missing a central floret, the cast-iron panel is a powerful example of Sullivan’s early decorative vocabulary. Its bold, highly stylized organic forms, unlike anything produced by his American contemporaries, clearly indicate Sullivan’s familiarity with the writings of the era’s leading European design theorists.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Panel from the Rothschild Building, Chicago
Designer: Louis Henry Sullivan (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1856–1924 Chicago, Illinois)
Maker: Dankmar Adler (American, 1844–1900)
Date: 1880–81
Geography: Made in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Culture: American
Medium: Cast iron
Dimensions: 67 x 37 1/2 in. (170.2 x 95.3 cm)
Credit Line: Purchase, Emily Crane Chadbourne Bequest, 1973
Object Number: 1973.289
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Baluster from the Carson, Pirie, Scott Company, Chicago, Louis Henry Sullivan American, Cast iron, American — Baluster from the Carson, Pirie, Scott Company, Chicago
Fabricated by Louis Henry Sullivan
Manufacturer Winslow Brothers Company
1899–1904

Elevator panel from the Manhattan Building, Chicago, Illinois, William LeBaron Jenney, Cast iron, American — Elevator panel from the Manhattan Building, Chicago, Illinois
Designer Designed by William LeBaron Jenney
Manufacturer Manufactured by Winslow Brothers Company
William B. Mundie
ca. 1889–91

3-part Garden landscape window for Linden Hall, Agnes F. Northrop American, Leaded Favrile glass — 3-part Garden landscape window for Linden Hall
Designer Agnes F. Northrop
Manufacturer Tiffany Studios
1912

Baluster from the Guaranty Building, Buffalo, New York, Louis Henry Sullivan American, Bronze-plated cast iron, American — Baluster from the Guaranty Building, Buffalo, New York
Designer Designed by Louis Henry Sullivan
Manufacturer Manufactured by Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company
Dankmar Adler
ca. 1894–95

Vase, Frank Lloyd Wright American, Copper, American — Vase
Frank Lloyd Wright
1890–1900

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.