Husser House Dining Room Chair

Designerdesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867 - 1959)

Collections

American Decorative Arts

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Dateca. 1899

Mediumoak

Dimensionsoverall: 51 7/8 x 17 1/4 x 17 1/4 in. (131.8 x 43.8 x 43.8 cm.)

DescriptionTall back oak dining room chair with leather seat cusion.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with the Virginia Steele Scott Acquisition Fund

Label TextOne of the most influential architects of the first half of the 20th century, Frank Lloyd Wright established an architectural practice in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1893. Wright's early residential designs are characterized by their expansive rectilinear structure, formal clarity, gently sloping roofs with broad overhangs, and sensitivity to orientation and site. Wright was committed to a comprehensive approach to interior and exterior design and often created furnishings and interior designs for his homes and offices.
Wright created his first tall-backed dining chair in 1895 for his own home in Oak Park. When arranged around a table, this style of chair breaks up the expansive interior space, providing a vertical counterpoint to horizontal design elements and creating around the table a more intimate environment conducive to dining and conversation.
The tall, slat-backed chairs Wright designed for the Husser House about 1899 differ slightly from Wright's earlier version. In an effort to integrate his furniture designs with the Husser House interior, Wright used squared rather than turned slats, and the rear legs taper and flare outward at both the base and the top, lending a grace and elegance to the form.

Status

On view

Object number2012.16.4