Skip to Content
Closed today, next open Thursday. Closed today, next open Thursday.

Court House Studies, Interior Perspective Study

A sketch of an airy interior space with two slender columns in the foreground and three large glass windows on the back wall.
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Image actions

  • A sketch of an airy interior space with two slender columns in the foreground and three large glass windows on the back wall.

Date:

c. 1931–1938

Artist:

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
American, born Germany, 1886–1969

About this artwork

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the development of modern architecture. Operating on a principle of “less is more,” he utilized materials such as industrial steel and plate glass in his strikingly minimal designs, which are notably free of decorative forms. As director of the German Bauhaus during the early 1930s, Mies formalized his notion of unifying form with function. In 1937 he immigrated to Chicago, where he became director of the School of Architecture at the Armour Institute of Technology (later the Illinois Institute of Technology). His legacy is still felt in the school’s program of stressing the fundamentals, materials, and function of architectural design. This Court House Study depicts a vast, open interior in which two slender columns provide the only visible means of support. The wide-angle perspective emphasizes the building’s strong horizontal character. A nearly seamless wall of glass fills living areas with light and dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Architect)

Title

Court House Studies, Interior Perspective Study

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Designed 1926–1943

Medium

Ink on paper, mounted on archival board

Dimensions

21.4 × 29.9 cm (8 7/16 × 11 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of A. James Speyer

Reference Number

1981.936

Copyright

© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share