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Louis I. Kahn, 1901-1974
Louis Kahn's best-known buildings, including the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas (1966–72) and the Yale Center for British Art (1969–74), combined the strengths of modernist architecture with the architectural traditions of the past. He was known for his interest in both structure and light and was regarded as an important theorist and teacher at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kahn's daughter, Alexandra Tyng, created this portrait from memory and photographs. Kahn is standing in his office in Philadelphia, surrounded by his books and a framed drawing of an unbuilt project for the Palazzo del Congressi in Venice. The artist intended to illuminate a moment of inspiration through her inclusion of the light shining on Kahn's face.
Alexandra Tyng, 2009 |