Baluster from the Guaranty Building, Buffalo, New York

Louis Henry Sullivan|Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company|Dankmar Adler

ca. 1894–95 · Bronze-plated cast iron · The American Wing

The Guaranty Building has the most highly ornamented exterior of any structure by Adler and Sullivan. The entire twelve-story building is clad in terracotta, which is intricately embellished with leafy designs and oval- and diamond-shaped motifs. The interior is just as highly ornamented. Our staircase baluster reveals Sullivan at the height of his creative powers; the winding, curling tendrils anticipate the arrival of the Art Nouveau style from Europe.

Artist

Louis Henry Sullivan|Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company|Dankmar Adler

Date

ca. 1894–95

Medium

Bronze-plated cast iron

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Friends of the American Wing Fund, 1984