Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most celebrated architects of the 20th century—and despite a prolific career spanning seven decades studded with glittering accomplishments and triumphs—his personal and professional life was plagued with tragedy, scandal, divorce, murder, and financial setbacks. Bill Keene, a lecturer in history, urban studies, and architecture, looks beyond the buildings to the man with the pencil, triangle, and T-square to shed light on the story of the master himself.
Keene traces Wright’s formative years, his parents’ divorce, and his summer work on family farms, which cultivated the love and respect for nature evident in his architecture. He also examines Wright’s own families, the marriages and the mistresses, and the cumulative negative impact on his career that branded him a has-been by 1930.
But by the end of the decade he reemerged triumphant and the period until his death in 1959 was the busiest in his long career. Keene analyzes the reasons for his comeback and its impact on his legacy—which continues to grow as Frank Lloyd Wright has become a brand associated with everything from toys and games to furniture, pop music (remember Paul Simon’s So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright?), and even an opera, Shining Brow.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
General Information
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
