The Richard H. Driehaus Museum

01/15/2021

Theo van Rysselberghe, was a dynamic figure of Belgian painting and on October 28, 1883 became a co-founder of the prominent artistic circle “Les XX.” Van Rysselberghe began as an Orientalist, painting and drawing scenes of Morocco during his travels there. Throughout his career and with his involvement with “Les XX,” he became friends with Fernand Khnopff, Henri van de Velde, James Ensor, Felicien Rops, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, and others.

In 1886, after he encountered George Seurat’s "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte," now exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, he converted to neo-Impressionism-Pointillism. Though he is considered one of the greatest neo-Impressionist painters, most of his works are still held in French and Belgian private collections.

His work here, now exhibited at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in PAN: Prints of Avant-Gard Europe, 1895-1900, is a lithographic portrait of the French Symbolist poet Henri de Régnier (1864-1926).

Theo van Rysselberghe (Belgian, 1862 - 1926), Portrait of Henri de Régnier, 1898. Published in PAN Volume IV, Issue 1, 1898. Lithograph.

01/12/2021

Join or renew your Driehaus Museum membership now and receive 15 months for the price of 12!
Visit ---> http://driehausmuseum.org/support/membership

A Driehaus Museum membership is the perfect gift for yourself or the art, architecture, and history lover in your life.

Your 15-month membership includes:
- Free admission to the Museum and all exhibitions
- Discounts on select programs
- 15% Discount at the Museum Store

Use the code HOLIDAY3FREE at checkout through January 15, 2021.

01/08/2021

The gray palette of the large-scale carpet that Mika Horibuchi has created for her installation in Mr. Samuel Nickerson’s bedroom is a clear indicator that it is a new addition to the surroundings.

However, what may take the viewer a few more moments to realize is that, as a way of authentically incorporating her addition into the 19th-century surroundings, Horibuchi has used the pattern of the bedroom’s canvas ceiling panels on the carpet.

The artwork brilliantly works as the centerpiece of the installation because it seamlessly combines what is original to the Nickerson Mansion with the artist’s own technique and perspective.

Mika Horibuchi (American, b. 1991), Mr. Nickerson's Carpet, 2020. Oil on panel. Courtesy of the artist and PATRON Gallery, Chicago.

01/05/2021

This petite covered box highlights the more playful side of Tiffany’s decorative works. The top depicts a frog, a motif rarely used by the company, on a lily pad with a border of water lily blossoms. On the inside, a large orange carp swims among the sapphire blues and rich greens of the water.

Enamel-on-copper pieces, like this one, were the most exotic of Tiffany’s creations; working in limited production allowed for experimentation with new forms and surface treatments. From 1898-1907 the small, women-led enamel department of Tiffany Studios created around 750 decorative pieces like this “Frog and Fish” covered box.

Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company (American, 1892 - 1902), "Frog and Fish" Covered Box, c. 1900-1903. Enameled copper. The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago.

01/01/2021

Happy New Year from all of us at the Driehaus Museum! Enjoy this beautiful display of sabrage off the Nickerson Mansion balcony using a bottle of Dom Pérignon donated for the occasion. Cheers to 2021! 🥂🍾

01/01/2021

Wishing all our patrons a happy and healthy new year! Why not celebrate 2021 with some vintage-inspired coupe glasses, and this beautiful vintage printed champagne bar towel? Both available at the Driehaus Museum online store (http://shop.driehausmuseum.org) — bottle of Dom Pérignon not included!

12/31/2020

Time Travel

Nate Young’s backwards-running clock, Time Travel, reminds us that in order to understand the best way forward, we must take a long and serious look back. As we reflect on 2020, we want to say thank you for your support - whether sending an encouraging word, attending a program, reading a blog, or making a donation - it fueled us all year.

We will carry this with us as we continue our work in advancing the legacy of the Nickerson Mansion – built as a home and transformed into the Driehaus Museum – a retreat to inspire the world through art, architecture, and design.

Nate Young (American, b. 1981), Time Travel, 2020. Mahogany, horse bone, tinted acrylic, clock mechanics, LEDs. Installation photograph by Michael Tropea at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum.

12/30/2020

Christopher Dresser was one of the most influential designers of the late 19th century. His areas of expertise varied widely and included botany, the art and culture of Japan, as well as industrial production. Dresser’s designs reflect the convergence of these interests and his desire to utilize affordable materials that could be easily manufactured for the growing consumer market of the latter half of the 19th century.

This decanter, pictured on view at the Driehaus Museum, is an excellent example of Dresser’s work displaying the beauty of both form and function. It is created out of ebonized wood, glass, and silver-plated metal and like many of his designs, the piece could easily be considered modern by today’s standards.

Christopher Dresser (English, born Scotland, 1834-1904). Decanter, late 19th century. Silver-plate, glass, ebonized wood. Manufactured by Hukin and Health. The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago.

12/29/2020

Gilded Age New Year’s Traditions: Champagne and Celebrations | Driehaus Museum

During Chicago's Gilded Age, the week leading up to New Year's Eve and Day was full of entertainment with society leaders like Bertha Palmer and Matilda Nickerson hosting grand events where guests danced, enjoyed lavish spreads of food, and, of course, drank champagne.

In 1890, the Nickerson’s “Marble Palace” was the site of a lavish New Year’s Eve reception. The guest list included prominent Chicago families, the Main Hall was “decorated with calla lilies” and “the centre-piece on the dining-room table consisted of a bank of delicate pink carnations on a background of maiden-hair ferns,” according to a Chicago Daily Tribune article that covered the event.

Read more about Mrs. Nickerson's soirée and New Year's Eve traditions of the Gilded Age in a blog from our archives - https://bit.ly/3mVgEiU.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum explores the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th-century with a focus on the Gilded Age. The Museum is located just steps from the Magnificent Mile within the meticulously restored Nickerson Mansion, renowned as Gilded Age Chicago’s “Marble Palace.”

12/25/2020

Sending our best wishes for a cheerful and relaxing holiday weekend, filled with lots of love.

We are happy to share a special holiday "Merry Spot the Difference." There are ten differences between what was left on and under the tree in the top photo and what was left on and under the tree in the bottom photo. Can you spot all ten?

The answer key is filled with festive historical insights you won't want to miss! ---> https://bit.ly/2KpjQ9n

12/23/2020

“Fortis In Arduis (Brave in difficulties), Love Never Faileth”

The Guild of Handicraft, who designed and made this brooch, was founded in 1888 by architect Charles Robert Ashbee as a place to teach young men of impoverished circumstances how to make a living in metalwork, furniture, and bookbinding. The jewelry produced by the Guild (which was similar to the artisan guilds of medieval times) is among the earliest made in the Arts and Crafts style.

This brooch was featured in the Driehaus Museum's exhibition, "Maker & Muse: Women and Early 20th Century Art Jewelry," which recently returned after touring to renowned institutions around the country.

Guild of Handicraft (English, 1888-1907) Love Never Faileth Brooch, c. 1902 Gold, enamel Marked verso: Morland Institute, From the Foundress Mrs. Walter Ward to the first Principal Miss Isabel Sharman ingrateful recognition of her loyal devotion 1892-1902. Case marked: The Guild of Handicraft Ltd., 16A Brook Street, Bond Street W. The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus.

12/21/2020

The Driehaus Museum's A Tale of Today Emerging Artists Fellowship is a six-month program that creates an artistic community of established and emerging artists as well as museum and art professionals.

Our 2020 Fellows have had the opportunity to (socially-distantly) meet with some of the leading voices in Chicago's museum and gallery communities. Thank you being generous with your time DePaul Art Museum, Monique Meloche Gallery, VOLUME GALLERY, Mika Horibuchi, and Nate Young.

The 2020 A Tale of Today Emerging Artists Fellowship is made possible in part by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

12/19/2020

Back by popular demand! These hand-beaded brooches have been one of the most popular items in the Driehaus Museum Store, and we now have new styles in stock for our collectors.

Featuring flora and fauna representative of the motifs found in the Nickerson Mansion and in Aesthetic Movement design — sunflowers, chrysanthemums, butterflies etc. — these timeless brooches are hand embellished with intricate beads, threads.

Buy them today on the Driehaus Museum Online Store! https://shop.driehausmuseum.org/collections/gifts-apparel/products/hand-beaded-brooch

12/18/2020

Virtual Holiday Story Time and Sing-a-long with Aunt Holly | Driehaus Museum

Tomorrow at 10 a.m. - Live in front of the historic Ballroom’s beautiful Christmas tree, Driehaus Museum favorite, Aunt Holly will host a holiday-themed virtual story time and sing-a-long She will introduce us to her friend Twiskertoes, bring a traditional Christmas tale to life, and then lead us as we sing and dance along to some favorite seasonal songs!

Tickets available at the link below.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum explores the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th-century with a focus on the Gilded Age. The Museum is located just steps from the Magnificent Mile within the meticulously restored Nickerson Mansion, renowned as Gilded Age Chicago’s “Marble Palace.”

12/17/2020

This festive cover design by William H. Bradley was created for the Christmas 1895 issue of The Inland Printer Magazine and depicts two red and white caped figures floating on a rich forest-green background.

The Inland Printer launched in 1883 as a trade publication for the Midwest’s thriving printing industry. It was one of the first American magazines to change its cover image with each issue and became known for its imaginative and artistic covers. Like The Chap-Book, The Inland Printer was based in Chicago and frequently featured the work of William H. Bradley, who was then based in the city as well.

Bradley’s aesthetic was heavily influenced by European poster artists and illustrators; however, he made his own mark by developing a uniquely American style inspired by a combination of Art Nouveau, the Arts and Crafts movement, and Japanese block printing.

Other prints by Bradley are included in our current exhibition "William H. Bradley and The Chap-Book from the Collection of Richard H. Driehaus."

William H. Bradley (American 1868 -1962), The Inland Printer, 1895. Color lithograph. The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago.

12/16/2020

A Tale of Today: Up From the Ashes The Spirit of Giving | Driehaus Museum

The second blog in our A Tale of Today: Up From the Ashes series explores a critical juncture in the city’s history when Chicago’s first philanthropists laid the foundation for the public and cultural institutions we continue to enjoy today.

At a time marked by the effects of war, fire, and rapid urbanization, citizens like the Nickersons and Jane Addams acted at a critical juncture in the city’s history as leaders in a growing tradition of philanthropy in America.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum explores the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th-century with a focus on the Gilded Age. The Museum is located just steps from the Magnificent Mile within the meticulously restored Nickerson Mansion, renowned as Gilded Age Chicago’s “Marble Palace.”

12/15/2020

Clara Driscoll, who managed the Tiffany Studios Women’s Glass Cutting Department, was #BornOnThisDay in 1861. Driscoll was first hired by Tiffany in 1888 and worked for the studio on and off for over 20 years. It wasn’t until the early 2000s when letters between Driscoll and her family were uncovered by Tiffany scholars that the contributions of the “Tiffany Girls” were confirmed and more widely recognized.

Over 30 of the stained-glass lamps produced by Tiffany Studios were designed by Driscoll, among them, the Dragonfly lamp pictured here. Featured in the Driehaus Museum’s exhibition Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection, this circa 1902 lamp is comprised of a bronze base and a stained-glass shade of yellow, green, brown and pink dragonflies set against a ground of leaves. It was originally designed for use with kerosene and later converted to electric.

Tiffany Studios (American, 1902-1932). Shade designed by Clara Driscoll (American, 1861–1944). Dragonfly lamp, c. 1902–1906. Blown glass and patinated bronze. The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago. Photograph by John Faier.

12/12/2020

The holiday tradition of sending Christmas cards as little gifts to convey sentiments of the joys of the season was a burgeoning business as Mrs. Nickerson tended to correspondence at her Sitting Room desk in the 1880s.

America’s first Christmas card became available in the mid-19th century and was distributed by R. H. Pease who owned a printer and variety store in Albany, NY. However, it was Louis Prang, a German immigrant, who brought Christmas cards to the mainstream. As a successful printer, he began to sponsor a contest for Christmas card designs. It was the popularity of these competitions that drove the market for Christmas cards. In an America that was becoming more mobile and operating at an increasingly faster pace, people turned to Christmas cards to send holiday greetings to family and friends as a faster alternative to writing traditional letters.

Tiffany Studios (American, 1902-1932) "Ninth Century" Desk Set, circa 1910, Gilt bronze, favrile glass cabochons. Collection of The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Chicago.

12/11/2020

A Toast to the Gilded Age: Baltimore Eggnog

A 1902 newspaper column in the Chicago Daily Tribune mentions that the second owners of the Nickerson Mansion, the Fishers, were the first to kick off that year’s holiday party season with a dinner followed by a dance in the Ballroom. The “…big Erie Street house…was decorated in American beauties and Christmas grace.” The dessert menu included chocolate, coffee, and ice cream in the Billiards Room and eggnog was served in the Dining Room.

With that in mind, Greg Shutters - The Cocktail Guy and Associate Director of Retail and Branding, would like to wish everyone a very happy holidays in his own special way!

“If you’re like me, it’s just not the holiday season without a glass of eggnog. Here I’ll show you how to make my favorite eggnog, a 19th-century recipe called “Baltimore Eggnog.” What makes it “Baltimore”? Watch the video and find out! —and be sure to check out the Driehaus Museum Store at shop.driehausmuseum.org to find all the vintage-designed mixing tools and glassware I use for your own home bar.”

12/11/2020

Sending everyone love and light on this first night of Hanukkah!

12/09/2020

A very special mailbox has been installed on the front gate of the Driehaus Museum.

We will be sure to pass the letters along... 😉

After all, Santa is coming to the Driehaus Museum this Saturday!

http://driehausmuseum.org/programs/detail/a-virtual-visit-with-santa-at-the-driehaus-museum

12/08/2020

Ludwig von Hofmann contributed to PAN several times with his Art Nouveau/Symbolist style.

His color lithograph Sonnige Tage/Sunny Days expresses a German take on the French Symbolist subject and style. Hofmann came from a wealthy and politically well-connected family, spoke French fluently, and studied in Paris under Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, the Symbolist artist who championed Acadia's classical concept, the harmonious, bucolic, anti-industrial, peaceful wilderness that was home to the god Pan.

This lithograph is included in the current exhibition PAN: Prints of Avant-Garde Europe, 1895-1900 at The Richard H. Driehaus Museum

Ludwig Von Hoffman (German, 1861 - 1945), Sonnige Tage/Sunny Days, 1897. Published in PAN Volume III, Issue 4, 1897. Color lithograph.

12/08/2020

Give the Gift of Membership - 15 Months for the Price of 12!
Use the code HOLIDAY3FREE at checkout.

VISIT ---> http://driehausmuseum.org/support/membership

A gift for the art, architecture, or history lover in your life – and it lasts all year!

If you add a donation of $100 or more to your membership gift or renewal, you will receive a special thank you gift from us!

12/06/2020

Do you have that discerning friend that’s notoriously hard to shop for? Shop the Driehaus Museum Store!

Our selection of unique gifts will delight anyone on your list – from a handmade ceramic trivet based on a J. & J. G. Low art tile pattern found in the Nickerson Mansion, to a smart hip flask with ornate Samuel Nickerson Distillery branding, one of the largest distilleries in Chicago in the 1860s. Hot off the press, our new long-sleeve tee featuring the 1881 elevation of the Nickerson Mansion is “designed to inspire” with gorgeously funky 19th century lettering found on the original blueprint.

Check http://driehausmuseum.org/shop for store hours or visit us online https://shop.driehausmuseum.org/ to see more products just added. And don’t forget to use the current promotion code to receive a special holiday discount.