MADISON, Wis. – Form, function and fine art coexist in The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick, on view Feb. 17–May 18, 2025 at the Chazen Museum of Art. The exhibition celebrates the legacy of Wharton Esherick (1887–1970), the father of the studio furniture movement, with nearly 70 objects that offer a comprehensive look at his expansive repertoire. Many of these pieces have never before been exhibited outside of his historic Pennsylvania home and studio.
“The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick offers deep insight into the American sculptor’s innovative approach to design. His work seamlessly blends fine art and function, creating pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing and practical. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore the breadth and versatility of his artistic practice,” said Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art and senior director for the arts and media at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Esherick called his home and studio, now the Wharton Esherick Museum, “an autobiography in three dimensions.” Built over four decades between 1926 and 1966, the unconventional dwelling on Valley Forge Mountain in Pennsylvania houses a vast collection of his work, spanning seven decades of creative exploration.
The exhibition showcases a selection of the rarely seen furniture, sculpture, historic photography, paintings, woodcut illustrations and more, presenting his work in four thematic vignettes: rural and urban landscapes, patterns and form, natural growth and the human body in motion. Each presents the iconic geometric patterns and sleek forms that became synonymous with the mid-century designer.
Although known for his captivating furniture designs, the Philadelphia native first trained as a painter. At Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he studied under great American Impressionists such as William Merritt Chase and Edward Willis Redfield. He opted to withdraw from the two-year certificate program just six weeks before completion because he believed he was being taught to paint like them. Instead, he sought to develop his own unique style. In a 1919 self-portrait featured in the exhibition, Esherick depicts himself in the standard uniform worn by Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students and faculty. The soft hues and bold brushstrokes are indicative of their impressionist influence.
After briefly working as a commercial illustrator, Esherick turned his attention to making furniture. Without formal training, he followed the lead of his friend and neighbor John Schmidt, a cabinetmaker who trained in Hungary. As he transitioned from painting to sculpture in the 1920s, he often carved designs into his furniture. Drop Leaf Desk (1927) is one such example featured in the exhibition. Esherick decorated the red oak and leather cabinet with abstract patterns that mimic a landscape, with birds carved into the section at the top and tree branches and crops covering the drawers below. Esherick designed the desk with large compartments to hold his prints and materials and a leather-covered drop leaf work surface.
The exhibition also includes an example of Esherick’s iconic three-legged stool. Starting in the 1950s, Esherick used leftover materials to produce the affordable, comfortable pieces that sold for $25 each. Over two decades, Esherick sold approximately 300 stools, with most produced in the 1960s when the price increased to $50.
Esherick’s motto was “If it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing,” and he often demonstrated that playful nature by sculpting chess sets and other games. “The Race” (1925) was among those games and is one of Esherick’s first three-dimensional objects made for his children. Patterned after a horse racing game, he sculpted the horses in exaggerated strides with sharp angles to communicate their speed.
“Wharton Esherick elevated wood from a mere material to a medium for artistic expression. His work ranged from impressive architecture apparent in his home and studio to furniture that was as breathtaking as it was functional. The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick demonstrates the ways in which the sculptor brought together the beauty of nature and human touch to spearhead the studio furniture movement that continues to impact artists today,” said Gilman.
This exhibition is organized by Brandywine Museum of Art and the Wharton Esherick Museum. At the Chazen Museum of Art, this exhibition is supported by the Anonymous Trust Fund and the Brittingham Wisconsin Trust.