Philip Johnson and Richard Kelly - The Architect London Monday, April 28, 2014 | Phillips

The Architect

Created by Lee F. Mindel, London Auction 29 April 2014 6pm

  • Provenance

    William A. M. Burden, New York
    Christie's, New York, 'Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design', 19 December, 2006, lot 1031
    Mark McDonald, Hudson, New York
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Literature

    Martin Eidelberg, ed., Design 1935-1965: What Modern Was, Montreal, 1991, p. 204

  • Catalogue Essay

    The present model was designed by Richard Kelly for Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut. Presented with the challenge of lighting a glass-walled space, Kelly developed a lamp to minimise glare and reflections. His solution was constructed from a bulb hidden in a canister lined with fins (an idea lifted from theatrical lighting), a shallow conical shade to diffuse the light that emanated from the base and one of the first dimmer cords to be found in a residential setting. The result was a lamp form truly derived from its intended function. The present lot, from the 5th Avenue apartment of William A.M. Burden, is an example of the original three-leg design used in Johnson's residential projects of the early 1950s, of which there are less than ten known extant examples. The model that was commercially available through the late 1960s had a fourth leg.

376

Philip Johnson and Richard Kelly

Standard lamp, designed for the Glass House, New Canaan, CT

circa 1952-1953
Bronze, painted aluminum.
106.7 cm (42 in.) high
Manufactured by Edison Price Inc., USA.

Estimate
£6,000 - 8,000 Ω

Sold for £18,750

Contact Specialist
Alexander Payne
Senior Director & Worldwide Head, Design
apayne@phillips.com
+44 207 318 4052

The Architect

Created by Lee F. Mindel, London Auction 29 April 2014 6pm