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Sale 56
Manuscript, Collectibles and Aerospace Auction
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Photo |
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Lot 119 |
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Wright, Frank Lloyd - Guggenheim Archive (1867-1959) American architect, considered by many to be the greatest American architect of all time. An archive pertaining to the Guggenheim Museum, which may be Wright's most recognized masterpiece. Wright was commissioned in 1943 to design a building to house Solomon R. Guggenheim's "non-objective" paintings. Construction did not begin until 1956, due to numerous delays, including modifications to the original design, increased costs of building materials after World War II, and the death of Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1949. The project was not finished until 1959; it opened six months after Wright's death, on October 21, 1959.
Wright's frustration at continuing delays and changes is evident in this letter, which he sent to the trustees in 1958. Typed Letter Signed, on Taliesin letterhead, 1 page, 8½ x 11 in., Spring Green, Wisconsin, June 23, 1958, addressed "To the Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation." The envelope has "to Mr. Michael Wettach" typed on the flap; Wettach (1932-1999) was one of the Guggenheim trustees and a grandson of Solomon R. Guggenheim. In part: "Concerning the Memorial Museum, now partly built, designed by myself for Solomon R. Guggenheim as attested by a score of detailed working plans and drawings each one signed by him and later verified by Lord Castle Stewart as changed to suit the extension of the site: In the circumstances now existing that seem to me to threaten the integrity of the whole concept, I feel that the least I can do is to acquaint you - his trustees - with the nature and the purpose of that original design by these photostats of the originals. Having done this, I shall have done my best to preserve what Solomon R. Guggenheim himself approved and left provision to build as his memorial. Faithfully, Frank Lloyd Wright."
The envelope holding this letter is affixed to the cover of an 11½ x 17½ in. portfolio, which contains photostats of Wright's original drawings of the museum: the exterior and each level--Ground through Fifth; a typed note with typed initials "F.Ll.W." is affixed at lower right of the Fifth Level Plan, "This top floor of the Museum is the climax in spacious dignity of the entire building. Here the great character of the design is made manifest." The portfolio also has photostats of the rooms which would hold "The Masterpiece," "Middle of the Road," and "Average Sculpture & Paintng," as well as a "Section through Monitor" showing how the basement through the third levels would look from the outside.
At the front of the portfolio is a seven-page description of Wright's concept of the Guggenheim, which he calls "An Experiment in the Third-Dimension"; he initialed "F.Ll W" on page 7, which is datelined Taliesin, June, 1958. A brief quote from page 4: "A great memorial building should thus prove to be matchless in complete unity between human-nature, picture and environment. These new arrangements are designed in conscious deference to the depth-plane of the Third-dimension as practical in modern organic-architecture." At the back of the portfolio are three pages titled "Concerning White White-Wash," giving Wright's preference for ivory over dead white, "which would be like a symphony lost against the blast of automobile horns." Page 3 is initialed "FLLW" and datelined Taliesin, June 1958. Some light toning; otherwise, the archive is in fine condition. We expect considerable bidder interest in this unparalleled Frank Lloyd archive.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 15,000.
From the estate of Guggenheim trustee Michael Wettach.
View details and enlarged photo
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$8,260 |
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