Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces: The Eugene and Clare Thaw Gift
October 13, 2006 – June 3, 2007
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Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces: The Eugene and Clare Thaw Gift Added
Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces: The Eugene and Clare Thaw Gift
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On view from the Eugene and Clare Thaw collection are staircase models, with the majority from 19th-century France. The models exquisitely capture the artists' demanding knowledge of cantilevering, balance, forms of rotation, styles of balusters, and architectural detailing. Accompanying the models are architectural drawings that together highlight the relationship between formal training, modeling, technical mastery, and flights of creative fancy.