Ilonka Karasz | People | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

We have 90 objects involving Ilonka Karasz and this is page 3 of 3

One of a pair of vertical drawings designed to be printed as a 2-panel mural wall covering. Although each panel can be appreciated individually, it should be noted that elements introduced on the left panel are completed on the right and vice versa. The entire mural depicts musicians playing instruments on one panel and children playing with kites on the other, set against exotic architecture. The types of instruments, and the style of the clothing, kites and architecture suggest the scene takes place in the East (and is reminiscent of miniature paintings and prints from that part of the world.) The elements are drawn in a playful, somewhat flat manner. The view is from an elevated perspective. The vanishing point is below the bottom page equidistant from the outer edge of each panel. The front plane of the building faces the viewer while both sides of the building are also visible (as diagonal planes heading backwards.) There are three areas of action: at street level, on a roof terrace/garden, and in the middle within and outside the building. In this panel, on the street level, the “serenade” is performed by five musicians sitting under a tall, open, canopy structure, in what appears to be an entryway to an outer yard bordered by a veranda like railing. The street has diamond-shaped tiles. The musicians are arranged like the 5 points of a W. Musician #1 sits on the railing, plays an instrument like a wooden flute (a ney?); #2 sits on the ground against the railing, plays an instrument like a broken-necked lute (an oud?) #3 sits on ground further back, plays an odd-shaped lap-held instrument (a zither?); #4 sits on the ground, against the railing (opposite #2) plays an instrument like a lute; #5 sits on ground furthest back, plays an instrument like an elongated acoustic guitar (dulcimer?) #3 and 4 wear turban-like headgear and all wear longish form-fitted jackets and are either barefoot or in sandals. The figures are vey small relative to the entire panel, taking up only the bottom 1/5. The canopy towers over the figures. Its sides have a decorative, loop-and-triangle pattern, and its roof has a pattern like wicker caning. Above the canopy, is a what appears to be a two-sided garden wall with an opening through which tree branches are partially visible. Branches are also visible at the sides and top edges of the wall. Above the opening is a large, cartoon-like, very white butterfly, starkly contrasted against the grey brick wall. (It is a kite whose string is held by children in the adjacent panel.) The side of the wall has a small grid pattern. Towards the left edge of the panel, roughly centered between the branches poking out from behind the wall, is a large 6-pointed star with spokes, drawn with shading as if to convey a source of light creating shadows. It’s another kite (manipulated by a child on the other panel.) Slightly below the star is a fragment of a balcony (completed on the other panel.) An empty sky creates a visual, restful exit from all the patterns in the scene below. The top of the paper appears discolored. The artist makes wonderful use of diagonals, light and dark, multiple patterns and geometric shapes, to create fantasy spaces on different planes, not always decipherable, with a few mysterious half-hidden figures for good measure, all of which keeps the viewer engaged. As this is a 2-dimensional, monochrome drawing (shades of gray on a light background) one of the exciting aspects of the artist’s skill is how she juxtaposes a variety of lines and patterns against each other, some dark and dense, some light and sparse, to distinguish areas and elements from one another, giving each its own voice in the artwork.

Drawing, Serenade, 1948
graphite, pen and ink on linen.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-1

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Mural, Air-Fire-Water-Earth

Mural, Air-Fire-Water-Earth
blueprint method on paper.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-6

This object was made by Design Group Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Drawing, Air-Fire-Water-Earth

Drawing, Air-Fire-Water-Earth
pen and ink, graphite on linen.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-3

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Mural, East of the Sun

Mural, East of the Sun
blueprint method.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-8

This object was made by Katzenbach and Warren, Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Mural, East of the Sun

Mural, East of the Sun
blueprint method.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-7

This object was made by Katzenbach and Warren, Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Roughly square portion cut from larger fabric. The dark green background is densely populated by brightly colored farm animals, human figures and flowers illustrated in a happy, playful, flat manner reminscent of folkart. The general impression is like an appliqued quilt where the elements have been cut from different print fabrics and sewn onto the background. The motifs are contained in a diamond shape, which repeats in all directions. The central figures are a blond 'farmer' in light blue overalls, red shirt and pink boots carrying a lamb and the 'farmers wife' in a long pink dress with a green top, hair covered in pink, grey boots, carrying a yellow flowering plant and a green bucket. Floating around them clockwise in a circular motion, a green cow with white face and pink horns, a white goose, a red rooster with green wings and whte tail feathers,a pink goat with yellow ears and green hooves, a green horse with a pink mane, a yellow cat, a pale blue pig with grey ears and three piglets (2 grey, 1 blue). A second ring of creatures float around the first including: a green partridge, a pink rooster, a green hen with red wings, a female figure in a short red dress, pink shoes and what looks like a chef's hat carrying a long necked blue bird, a white duck, a yellow dog, a green rabit, a pink bird with long tail feathers, and two dogs (1 pink, 1 pale grey) that look like a howling coyote. Interwoven between these elements are a variety of fantasy flowers and stylized leaf shapes. Despite the busyness of the design and humourous, unexpected color choices, the design is unified by one feature common to all the elements - each contains some kind of tiny overall pattern like polka dots, flowers, or stars, so that all seem related. The name of the pattern 'Calico Cow' gives an idea of the quilt material referred to earlier.

Textile, Calico Cow, 1952
cotton.
American Textile History Museum Collection, gift of Michele Palmer.
2017-24-7

This object was made by Associated American Artists.
This object is part of the Textiles collection.

Folder, Air-Fire-Water-Earth

Folder, Air-Fire-Water-Earth
luxograph print on paper.
Gift of Marilyn Friedman.
2014-12-4

This object was made by Design Group Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Folder, East of the Sun

Folder, East of the Sun
luxograph print on paper.
Gift of Marilyn Friedman.
2014-12-2

This object was made by Design Group Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Folder, Closed Garden

Folder, Closed Garden
luxograph print on paper.
Gift of Marilyn Friedman.
2014-12-1

This object was made by Design Group Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Print, Playboy's Star Frolic, Webster Hall, New York, NY

Print, Playboy's Star Frolic, Webster Hall, New York, NY
screenprint on silver-backed paper.
Gift of Erik de Jong.
1994-26-2

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Print, Noah's Ark

Print, Noah's Ark
luxograph print on paper.
Gift of Abraham Edelman.
1992-29-1

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Drawing, Design for Carpet

Drawing, Design for Carpet
brush and gouache, graphite on tracing paper.
Gift of Donald Deskey.
1975-11-71

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Drawing, Design for Textile: Stylized Flowers

Drawing, Design for Textile: Stylized Flowers
brush and gouache, graphite on off-white illustration board .
Gift of Donald Deskey.
1975-11-34

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Rougeware Plate

Rougeware Plate
glazed earthenware.
Gift of Ashley and Mark Callahan in memory of Solveig Cox.
2017-40-2

This object was made by Buffalo Pottery.
This object is part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts collection.

A small light blue glazed earthenware plate featuring tiny handpainted branches on its rim. The branches appear to be from a pine tree and are painted next to a white and red object that resemble jacks. The jacks and branches alternate around the rim of the plate. A small white house is painted at the plate's center and features smal blue windows as well as a blue door. There are three pine trees that are painted around the house along with a two small dogs that run through a field of tiny blue dots painted at the base of the house.

Lamelleware Plate, ca. 1935
glazed earthenware.
Gift of Ashley and Mark Callahan in memory of Solveig Cox.
2017-40-1

This object was made by Buffalo Pottery.
This object is part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts collection.

Sidewall - Sample, Courtyard Texture

Sidewall - Sample, Courtyard Texture
machine-printed paper.
Gift of Katzenbach and Warren, Inc..
1956-108-4-c

This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.

Inverted cone-shaped body with angled wide-rimmed circular mouth and cross-form base; triangular narrow spout opposite vertical tubular handle with flat horizontal mounts at rim and lower body. Shiny metal surface with a small amount of tarnish.

Creamer Creamer, ca. 1928
nickel silver.
Gift of George R. Kravis II.
2013-54-3

This object was made by Paye & Baker Manufacturing Company.
This object is part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts collection.

Sample Book, Murals from the Hand Drawn Originals of Ilonka Karasz

Sample Book, Murals from the Hand Drawn Originals of Ilonka Karasz
blueprint method on paper.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-9

This object was made by Design Group Inc..
This object is part of the Wallcoverings collection.
There are 23 images of this object.

Book Illustration, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Eighth Day of Christmas

Book Illustration, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Eighth Day of Christmas
lithography on paper.
Collection of Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
SIL39088017559196

This object has not been digitized yet.

Textile, Calico Cow, 1952
cotton.
Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund.
2020-2-1

This object was made by Riverdale Drapery Fabrics and Associated American Artists.