Library Table

1896·Oak and pine·77.9 × 121.3 × 118.8 cm (30 5/8 × 47 3/4 × 47 1/2 in.)

<p>Like his Prairie School contemporaries, Frank Lloyd Wright drew upon the ideas of the English Arts and Crafts movement in formulating his own principles of architecture and design, beliefs that included an adherence to simplicity in design, a preference for straightforward construction methods, and the use of plain, high-quality materials. This library table, designed by Wright for the remodeling of the Charles E. Roberts House, contains the strong balance of horizontality and verticality characteristic of the Prairie School while accentuating the rich oak surface. Wright championed the importance of machinery to improve design; although this table is indebted to industrial production methods, the beading on the door suggests the hand of the craftsman.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1896
Medium: Oak and pine
Dimensions: 77.9 × 121.3 × 118.8 cm (30 5/8 × 47 3/4 × 47 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Frank Lloyd Wright

Artist

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect whose designs fundamentally reshaped residential and civic building in the twentieth century. He developed the concept of organic architecture, integrating structures with their natural surroundings through innovative use of cantilevers, open floor plans, and locally sourced materials. His projects ranged from the Prairie School houses of Chicago to Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, each demonstrating a conviction that buildings should grow from their sites rather than impose upon them. His influence extends across modernism, landscape integration, and spatial planning.

Chicago, IL, USA

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