The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene

The architecture and decorative arts designed by Charles Greene (1868-1957) and his brother Henry Greene (1870-1954) a century ago in California are recognized internationally as among the finest of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. The Greenes carefully considered every detail of the buildings and objects they designed, incorporating European, Asian and Native American influences. Like their contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright, they believed architecture to be no less than a design language for life, imbuing their projects with an expressive sensitivity for geography, climate, landscape and lifestyle. Their progressive ideas about design still influence California architecture today.

The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene, the most comprehensive exhibition of the brothers’ work to date, examines their legacy with 127 objects in a variety of media, including beautifully inlaid furniture, artfully executed stained glass and metalwork, as well as rare architectural drawings and photographs. The exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of The Gamble House, constructed between 1907 and 1909 in Pasadena, California, which is one of the Greenes’ best-known commissions.

The exhibition is now on view at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, running until June 7, 2009. Organized by the Gamble House, an online version of The Art and Craft of Greene and Greene can be viewed here.