Radiator Grille
Richard Riemerschmid
German, 1868–1957
c. 1900
A radiator grille in iron set within a simple wooden frame, made to conceal and ventilate a heating unit while bringing a restrained decorative presence to a room.
Your eye is arrested by the tightly repeated metal links that form a rhythmic, almost woven lattice of tiny hooked shapes, their cool sheen set against the warm simplicity of the wood frame and a small functional knob at the edge.
The piece exemplifies Riemerschmid’s effort to unite craft and industry—an Arts-and-Crafts/early modern approach that made ordinary household fittings both useful and elegantly designed, anticipating modern industrial design principles.
Medium
Iron and wood
Dimensions
grille: 25 1/2 x 21 1/8" (64.8 x 53.7 cm)
frame: 27 1/2 x 23" (69.8 x 58.4 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Phyllis B. Lambert Fund
Accession
181.1958
Palette
Exhibitions
