Rago Auctions

In 1934, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Curtis Bok commissioned Esherick to rebuild the interior of his home in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania, not far from Esherick’s studio in Paoli. Over the course of three years, Esherick designed and crafted what became his signature commercial work, and the first to bring him national attention in architectural circles. The finished home was, essentially, a continuous Cubist-style wooden sculpture that seamlessly integrated form and function while also incorporating the interplay of space and light in a dramatic, modern way by allowing natural light to flood the interior.

The Bok house was hailed at the time as “breathtaking in the freshness of its conception,” which extended from the walls, doorways, and fireplace, to the staircase and the furnishings. In 1989, when the Bok house was demolished, Esherick’s interior constructions were dismantled, many of them moved to public collections around the country (several elements, including the iconic fireplace, are now held in the Philadelphia Museum of Art). The present lot, a library alcove, was originally designed and built with a curved, armless couch but, as was the case with some of Esherick’s non-traditional designs, it did not work as planned for the clients. Katie Wynne from the Wharton Esherick Museum explained of the adjustment:

One such piece, the gracefully curved sofa made for the library alcove at the Curtis Bok House in 1935 was returned after about a year in its intended home. The Boks requested that Wharton replace it with a straight one citing that Mr. Bok’s friends would only sit on the narrow ends, rather than have their feet dangle off the edge. Mrs. Bok had a complaint also – when she napped on the sofa she kept rolling off!

Esherick replaced the curved version with a more user-friendly design; the curved sofa can now be seen in Wharton's bedroom at his eponymous museum. This library alcove was a key part of a pivotal work in Esherick’s career and exhibits his ability to push the boundaries of traditional design as well as respond and adapt to his client’s needs. It is a part of the enduring legacy of the Bok house, one that embodies Esherick’s artistic ethos: a seamless integration of craftsmanship, nature, and innovation.