Altarpiece for MIT Chapel
Harry Bertoia
Bertoia’s altarpiece screen, or reredos, was commissioned for Eero Saarinen’s early modernist, non-denominational MIT Chapel in 1955.
Suspended over the main altar, his cascading, open fret screen of slim metal rods and crossplates scatters light throughout the chapel. Described as one of Bertoia’s most striking works, it is an integral part of the altar. Here, Bertoia has liberated sculpture from its base to usher in the contemporary era of spatial sculpture.
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Harry Bertoia, Altarpiece for MIT Chapel, 1955
© 2018 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York -
Harry Bertoia, Altarpiece for MIT Chapel, 1955
© 2018 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York -
Harry Bertoia, Altarpiece for MIT Chapel, 1955
© 2018 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York -
Harry Bertoia, Altarpiece for MIT Chapel, 1955
© 2018 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Date
1955
- Type
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Sculpture
- Medium
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Brazed steel
- Size
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240 in. (609.6 cm)
- Credit
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Commissioned for Eero Saarinen Chapel, MIT