Wright Chat

Remarkable prices for FLLW at Sotheby's the past two days from the Wolf Family auctions! Clerestory window from the Avery Coonley Playhouse, pre auction estimate 150,000 - 200,000, sold $178,000. Ceiling Light from the Francis W. Little House, pre auction estimate 300,000 - 500,000, sold $2,900,000(!). Laylight window from the B. Harley Bradley House, pre auction estimate 100,000 - 150,000, sold $305,000. Spindle armchair from the Francis W. Little House, pre auction estimate 60,000 - 80,000, sold $165,000. Monumental vase from the Susan Lawrence Dana House, pre auction estimate 150,000 - 200,000, sold $635,000.

Thanks, Todd. I assume the monumental vase was not a Wright-designed object . . .?

Are the lots illustrated for public consumption ?

S

If you go to the Sotheby's website for the Wolf Family Collection

https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/the- ... 0c20000&q=

items 31, 30, 405, 406, 404, 433

Thanks, Duncan. Here they are on one page (see bottom): https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/the- ... 4cc0000&q=

S

I should have added in my OP that the result of the Ceiling Light from the Francis W. Little House (pre auction estimate 300,000 - 500,000, sold for $2,900,000) is a new world auction record for FLLW... Best, T

Are ever-escalating prices for Wright furnishings and effects that have departed their intended homes a good thing, or a bad thing, or a thing with no weight one way or another, in your opinion, Todd ?

This fixture, which I guess dates to 1902, is a remarkable design achievement for that date---though some work being done in Europe at that time might provide context. The use of the cube as a motif was observed in the work of the Vienna Secession. But the Wiener Werkstätte (where Josef Hoffmann and others deployed the square frequently) wasn't in existence until the year after the first Little commission.

Of course, as Anthony Alofsin has pointed out that the square (and thus, presumably, the cube) is a very old design artifact. And Wright adopted the square (in combination with the circle, making a mandala) early in his career; the Winslow house and his own studio were marked thus.

S

I stumbled upon this thread from 2013-2015 this morning. The owner of the Little residence reported that they owned original drawings and photos of the light fixture, and were "considering" a reproduction.

viewtopic.php?t=7400&hilit=Little+Peoria&start=15

2008-9: viewtopic.php?t=7400&hilit=Little+Peoria&start=15

S