Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867-1959). Rare Wall Light from the Avery Coonley House, Riverside, Illinois, circa 1908...

Description

Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867-1959)
Rare Wall Light from the Avery Coonley House, Riverside, Illinois, circa 1908
Patinated bronze, glass
7-1/4 x 9 x 9 inches (18.4 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm)

One of Frank Lloyd Wright's most prominent homes, the Coonley House was designed in 1907 for industrialist Avery Coonley and his wife, Queene Ferry. The 9000-plus square foot complex spanned ten acres in Riverside, Illinois, and featured landscape architecture from famed Danish designer Jens Jensen. The home itself took an impressive four years to build, with construction beginning in 1908. Pedagogic philanthropy was of special import to the Coonley-Ferrys, and in 1911, Ferry commissioned a school from Wright, eventually becoming the Avery Coonley School Playhouse. The Coonley Estate and Playhouse are considered to continue the steady unfurling of Wright's signature Prairie Style, with gently sloping rooves, open floor-plans, and a stark geometry infused to interior and exterior design elements. The stained glass created for the Playhouse, termed by Wright a "kinder-symphony," was designed to recall the lively nature of confetti, flags, and balloons afloat, culminating in some of his most easily-recognized designs. They signaled a new turn in the level of Wright's all-encompassing involvement in the even the most minute details of his works.


This rare wall light from the Coonley House is remarkable due its scarcity: while many other Wright homes have been stripped of their fixtures and furniture (often replaced with replicas), the Coonley House still retains almost all of its original content, which includes approximately 270 art glass doors and windows. This light, along with the other lighting fixtures, furniture, and textiles present in the home, was designed specifically by Wright for the Coonley House and recalls the geometric patterns of the home's tiled Tulip Frieze. He considered this estate to be amongst his favorites, stating in his autobiography, "... I put my best into the Coonle

PROVENANCE:
Phillips, New York, Design, December 13, 2018, lot 199.



More information about Frank Lloyd Wright. See also: Wright, Frank Lloyd, Rait, Frank Lloid, Rayt, Frank Luyd, Frank Lloyd Lincoln Wright.

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