Spandrel Panel from the Gage Building, Chicago, Illinois 1898 - 1899

This is a cast iron Spandrel Panel by Louis Sullivan, made for the Gage Building in Chicago. Sullivan was part of the Chicago School of architecture in the late 19th century. He used ornamentation to express the building's identity as a living thing. The intricate details and organic forms reflect his belief that architecture should evolve naturally, like plants and flowers. The panel almost seems to blossom before our eyes. Sullivan’s approach to ornament was deeply tied to his philosophical and aesthetic beliefs about democracy and the role of art in public life. He sought to create an architecture that was accessible and uplifting to all. The Gage Building, completed in 1899, symbolizes a pivotal era of urban development and the rise of modernism. Sullivan sought to make the plain and simple beautiful, enriching the everyday experience of the city. This panel represents a moment of change in American aesthetics, embracing both industrial progress and artistic expression.