WHARTON ESHERICK STUDIO

BACKSTORY: Born in Philadelphia, Wharton Esherick studied painting at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts (now the University of the Arts) and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1913 he moved to a farmhouse near Paoli, Pennsylvania to pursue his painting career. He began carving decorative frames for his paintings in 1920; when he realized that the frames were more popular than the paintings, he switched to sculpture. Focusing on wood and metal working, he received commissions for Expressionist furniture and interiors, creating furniture that passed as sculpture, and sculpture that functioned as furniture, bridging the gap between art and craft. The photos here show his studio, garage, and workshop.