Chair (for Frank Lloyd Wright Residence and Studio, Oak Park, Illinois) (Primary Title)

In 1899 Frank Lloyd Wright began building his own house and studio in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Wright, who was both the architect and interior designer of his house, designed this side chair of his own use. The shape and construction relate to furniture by Gustav Stickley and Roycroft and show Wright’s concern for structural simplicity. The use of simple, geometric shapes and the extension of the back panel below the seat also reflect various design elements form the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This chair and all of Wright’s furniture have a strong relationship to the architecture that he developed during the early years in Chicago.