Armchair from the Dining Room of the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, IL
Decorative Arts and Design

Armchair from the Dining Room of the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, IL
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867-1959), designer
John W. Ayers (American, 1850-1914), maker
John W. Ayers (American, 1850-1914), maker
Date
1902
Medium
Oak
Accession #
1981.1000.49
Dimensions
56 1/4 x 23 x 20 inches
Location
On View - Stent Family Wing, Level 3, Gallery 303
Description
Frank Lloyd Wright was central in the development of the Prairie School style of architecture, which echoed the Midwest’s flat landscapes through long, low-spreading homes that typically had open floorplans and minimal, Japanese-inspired trim work. Originally designed for the dining room of the Ward W. Willits House in Highland Park, Illinois—considered one of Wright’s early Prairie School masterpieces—this armchair’s simple, squared elements and oak construction correspond to the room’s architecture.