Living room reconstructed, 1972 - Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
I was in New York for a business meeting and afterwards managed to slip in a quick visit theMetropolitan Museum to view the living room of the Little Residence. The reconstruction was done with one of the walls facing an exterior wall of the museum so the room was mostly illuminated with natural light. I was struck by how peaceful the space was when I entered the room.
Being somewhat familiar with his work now I was able to pick out traits that are common to many of his designs. Horizontal lines are evident throughout. Indirect lighting is used extensively. The brickwork has the vertical gaps filled in so that the horizontal is emphasized. I had thought this was a technique used later in his Usonian houses, but evidently this was used earlier in his Prairie houses. The exterior of the living room was reconstructed in the museum as well so the overhang that brings the exterior into the house prior to actually entering the house could be experienced. This reminded me of the transition from the entryway to the living room in the Pope-Leighey Residence.
There are a few additional Wright artifacts at the museum including items from the Imperial Hotel, theCoonley Residence, and Midway Gardens. I did not have much time to shop in the gift shop, but my inquiry about Wright-related items drew a blank. If you are visiting do your research up front concerning any souvenirs you might want. They can probably be ordered by phone or from their web site anyway.
The photos are very poor since I only had a low-end digital camera with me and flash photography is not allowed in the museum. Notice that the original furniture and fixtures were included in the room.
Overall a great "Wright experience" — if you are in the area don't miss it!
No comments:
Post a Comment