Art News

Major Collection of Frederick Kiesler Drawings and Sculptures Donated to Philadelphia Museum

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- A major collection of 31 drawings and two sculptures by the architect, artist, designer, poet, and philosopher Frederick Kiesler (American, born Austria-Prussia 1890–1965) has been donated to the Museum by Ronnie L. and John E. Shore, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Shore were inspired to make this gift by the close connection of Kiesler to Marcel Duchamp (American, born France, 1887-1968), whose work is so well represented in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Ranging in date from the early 1930s to the 1960s, the drawings in the Shore gift include sketches for many of the artist’s most important projects, including the Endless House: Conceptual Drawing (1947), his concept for the creation of a spatially fluid form of architecture that was responsive to the social needs of its users; scenic and costume designs for theatrical performances; and ten sketches for