"INTERIOR ELEMENTS WITH ANCIENT ARABIC GREETING" The Old Medinah Athletic Club, Chicago, IL by Jack Nixon
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By: Jack Nixon
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Width: 26 in.
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Height: 23 in.
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Depth: 0 in.
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Medium: Giclee
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Material: Paper
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Style: Architectural
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Theme: Architecture
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Price: US $350
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Discount: US $0
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Domestic Shipping: US $20
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Est. Domestic Shipping Time: 7-10 days
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Shipping Available To: US, Continental US, Canada, Mexico, North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa
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International Shipping: US $30
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Est. International Shipping Time: 10 days
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About This Artwork
Two architectural collages have been directly inspired by the copper engravings of the famous Italian architectural illustrator, printmaker, historian, writer, and critic, Giovanni Bapttista Piranesi (1720-1778). For over two hundred years, Piranesi's depictions of ancient European architectural sites, as well as architectural elements and ornament, have become the standard for classic, western interior decoration throughout the world. As framed graphics, Piranesi's catalog of print images is almost ubiquitous in print and poster shops. As baroque and detailed as any of his magnificent depictions of Roman columns and capitols, cornices and urns, the above architectural assemby honors the vision of Piranesi and his eighteenth century contemporaries with drawings that depict Chicago's finest buildings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century's. Mr. Nixon hopes that by documenting the warmth and character of the carved stone and terra cotta, the casual viewer may take serious notice of an era of modern architectural embellishment that may never appear again. Built in the late 1920's, when the taste for neoclassicism was still in the air, the Old Medinah Athletic Club has become a masterpiece of eclectic western and middle-eastern decorative arts.
The artist's first encounter with the Old Club at 505 North Michigan Avenue (now a worldwide, intercontinental hotel) was both stunning and awe-inspiring. In the grand tradition of monumental Egyptian carving, three gigantic low-relief friezes, displayed eight stories above the street, were as much a curiosity as they were an astonishing display of modern stone carving. When Mr. Nixon walked in the front doors and was confronted with its entrance, he immediately felt as if he had entered another time and place. It was a magic experience. With its rich architectural, sculptural, and graphic expresssion, the building is a joy to walk by and through. Ancient styles and images of the the Celts, Moors, Egyptians, and Assyrians, with art of medieval Europe, create the most memorable interior in Chicago. Jack could hardly believe there was a building - not only in Chicago, but even in the United States - that held such presence.
With so many visitors passing through its rich brass entryway, and so many marriages taking place in the Old Club, the chance to acquire these beautiful prints is a perfect way to continue experiencing Chicago and it's finest example of early twentieth century architectural ornament. Bridal gifts can be ordered with certificates of exchange for mats and frames that would better fit the wedding couple's decor.
The text of each print gives a brief description of the elements and their placement. The numerous pencil drawings and the assembly of all the enclosed images took six full months to complete.
THE OLD MEDINAH ATHLETIC CLUB, 505 N.Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
#2.) INTERIOR ELEMENTS WITH ANCIENT ARABIC GREETING Signed and Numbered Giclee Prints
100 Large Giclee Prints 26 x 23" $350.00, Framed with Print 37 x 34" $700.00
200 Medium Giclee Prints 17 x 15" $175.00, Framed 25 x 22" $450.00
Copyright 1989 All Rights Reserved. Jack Nixon, Nixon Design Studio .