Eclectic House Facade, project
Robert Venturi
American, 1925–2018
Venturi and Rauch
American, est. 1964–1979
John Rauch
American, born 1930
1977
An architectural elevation rendered as a color-overlay photostat that proposes an intentionally 'eclectic' house facade—mixing oversized, simplified classical columns and a pediment with playful ornament to rethink domestic symbolism.
What strikes you is the tight, symmetrical composition: three vase-like columns in warm yellow and mauve uphold a triangular pediment punctuated by a vivid red, almost cartoonish frieze, all drawn with precise drafting lines and a tiny figure for scale.
This 1977 proposal by Venturi and Rauch illustrates the postmodern shift away from modernist purity by reintroducing historical reference, ornament, and irony into architecture, influencing a generation of more communicative, eclectic designs.
Medium
Color overlay on photostat, mounted on Fome-Cor
Dimensions
18 x 18 (45.7 x 45.7 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Kenneth Walker
Accession
395.1988
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
