TitleAn unidentified, probably unbuilt skyscraper
Architect
Cass Gilbert
(American, 1859 - 1934)
Datec. 1910
MediumPastel on board
DimensionsSheet size: 26 × 10 13/16 in.
Framed: 29 5/8 × 14 3/8 × 3/4 in.
SignedSigned in pastel at bottom right corner (very faint): "Cass Gilbert [?]".
MarkingsStamp on verso of board, at center, in purple ink: "Prepared by Devoe & Raynolds Co., Inc. New York Manufacturers & Importers of Artists Materials, No. 4"
Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, NY, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. Harden Rose, 1981
Object number1981.283
Label TextCass Gilbert was a renowned American architect in the early twentieth century. He designed various types of buildings, many for government and business, one of the most important being the Woolworth Building (1911-13) in New York, which on completion was the tallest structure in the world. The building that he pictured in this carefully finished pastel has Gothic-style elements like many of his structures, including the Woolworth Building, but has not been identified by architectural historians familiar with his work. So far expert opinion is that the building may be one of Gilbert's unbuilt skyscraper projects. From the time of his arrival in New York in 1899, he consistently pursued commissions for skyscrapers. The drawing may date as early as the 1910s and possibly as late as the 1930s.Collections
- Architecture Highlights from the Collection
