Book Description
Generations of visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago have been entranced by the Thorne Rooms. These sixty-eight miniature rooms, designed between 1934 and 1940, chronicle both European and American interiors ranging from 16th to the early 20th century. This publication offers stunning full-color photographs of each room.
Miniature Rooms: The Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Generations of visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago have been entranced by the Thorne Rooms. Painstakingly constructed on a scale of one inch to one foot, these intriguing models offer intricately detailed views of European interiors from the 16th century through the 1930s and of American furnishings from the 17th century to 1940. The sixty-eight miniature rooms were conceived by Chicago socialite Mrs. James Ward Thorne and made between 1934 and 1940 by a number of skilled craftsmen according to her exacting specifications. Many of the rooms were inspired by specific interiors in historic houses or by museum installations or period rooms. Others combine features copied from various houses, palaces, and sites Mrs. Thorne visited during her extensive travels." In this newly designed and revised edition of one of the Art Institute's most popular books, each room is shown in full view, including eight two-page spreads that immerse the reader in several of the interiors. Full-color details provide a closer view of specific objects mentioned in the text, and a number of Mrs. Thorne's original drawings are reproduced to actual scale. The introductory essay chronicles Mrs. Thorne's creation of the rooms, while individual commentaries provide information about each interior. This is a volume that will prove irresistible to collectors, miniaturists, architects, historians, interior designers, and the general public alike.
SYNOPSIS
The English Great Hall of the Tudor period features suits of armor and a dog asleep before the fireplace. The French Hall of Louis XII is lit from an unseen window past an arch. The New Hampshire Dining Room includes heirloom china. One expects to hear a butler's footsteps ringing through these rooms, but said butler would have to be only a few inches tall. From 1934 to 1940 spirited socialite Mrs. James Ward Thorne led the effort to produce 68 miniature rooms for the Art Institute of Chicago. The rooms' primary purpose was educational, to give viewers an idea of what life was like in historical settings, and what constituted good taste in different times and places. Yet the rooms also evoke a sense of fantasy. The viewers' faces are reflected in the mirrors, and objects still in common use, such as eyeglasses, books, and even mops bridge the gap between the modern onlooker and these admittedly elite spaces. This situation becomes poignant given the rooms' first viewers were entering a war; some of the real rooms that inspired the miniatures were shortly to be dashed to dust. The authors provide color photographs and working plans, which are printed in their original size. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Art & Photography
Book Info
