Panel from fireplace surround of James A. Patten House, Evanston, Illinois
Panel from fireplace surround of James A. Patten House, Evanston, Illinois

On view

American Art
Wilmerding Pavilion
Philip & Nancy Anschutz Gallery

Panel from fireplace surround of James A. Patten House, Evanston, Illinois,

ca. 1901

George Washington Maher, 1864–1926; born Mill Creek, WV; died Douglas, MI; active Chicago, IL
Louis J. Millet, 1856–1923; born New York, NY; active Chicago, IL
2018-75
Financier James A. Patten commissioned George Washington Maher to design, adorn, and furnish his twenty-two-room suburban mansion. This glass mosaic panel, produced by the celebrated stained-glass artist Louis Millet after Maher’s plans, formed part of an elaborate mantelpiece, probably located in the main entrance hall. Its stylized organic design reflects Maher’s integration of Arts and Crafts decoration into traditional architectural forms. In keeping with Maher’s “motif rhythm” theory, elements throughout the house featured a similar thistle design. The architect believed that consistent repetition of forms made the home—and thus life—harmonious.

Information

Title
Panel from fireplace surround of James A. Patten House, Evanston, Illinois
Dates

ca. 1901

Maker
Louis J. Millet
Medium
Iridescent and opaque glass mosaic and enamel
Dimensions
116.2 × 69.8 × 6 cm (45 3/4 × 27 1/2 × 2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Joel L. Cohen in memory of Kermit A. Brandt, Class of 1956
Object Number
2018-75
Place Made

North America, United States, Illinois, Evanston

Culture
American
Type
mosaics, panels (surface components)
Materials
glass, enamel
Techniques
mosaic
Subject
thistles, geometric patterns

In situ in James A. Patten House, ca. 1901-1938; with Thomas Tonc, Fly By Nite Gallery, Chicago; collection of Ron Handler; acquired by donor ca. 1979

IIIF manifest

The International Image Interoperability Framework, or IIIF, is an open standard for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. Visit iiif.io to learn more.

Open API URL

Our API is generally designed to provide programmatic access to the Museum's collections data for applications that require regular updates and/or the ability to dynamically query and filter the data via the endpoints provided.

Share your feedback with us

The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

Explore More

Holidays at the Museum

Princeton Collects

Mosaic Restaurant