Stencil
On View In:
Gallery 300
Artist:   Louis Henri Sullivan
Louis Millet
Heay and Millet  
Title:   Stencil  
Date:   c. 1893  
Medium:   Canvas, pigment  
Dimensions:   16-1/8 x 92-1/8 in. (41.0 x 234.0 cm)  
Credit Line:   Gift of Bob Ulrich and Jill Dahlin  
Location:   Gallery 300  

The Chicago Stock Exchange Building, for which this stencil was made, was one of Adler and Sullivan's last commissions before the firm dissolved in 1895. Sullivan's repeating organic design motifs were well suited to the technique of stenciling, which was often used to decorate 19th century interiors. Sullivan continued to employ stencils throughout his career, including the interior of the National Farmer's Bank in Owatonna, MN (1907-08).

The intertwining circle and oval motif seen in this panel was repeated throughout the Stock Exchange Building, creating a sense of harmony throughout the whole. This stencil design is very similar to the panel design above the elevator grilles in this gallery, also from the Stock Exchange Building.

Artist/Creator(s)     
Name:   Sullivan, Louis Henri  
Role:   Designer  
Nationality:   American  
Life Dates:   American, 1856-1924  
 
Name:   Millet, Louis  
Role:   Designer  
Nationality:   American  
Life Dates:   American  
 
Name:   Heay and Millet  
Role:   Maker  
Life Dates:   Chicago  
 

Object Description  
  
Inscriptions:    
Classification:   Architecture  
Physical Description:   5 complete and 2 half-circle designs with organic and geometric elements; tans, oranges, greens and cream  
Creation Place:   , United States, , ,  
Accession #:   2001.166  
Owner:   The Minneapolis Institute of Arts