Name/Title
Letter, Diorama, Jesus and Disciples, The Art Institute of ChicagoScope and Content
1 Diorama of the disciples and Jesus. The diorama is mechanical and the key is included.
Letter to Jane Redman from The Art Institute of Chicago, dated May 18, 1978.
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
MICHIGAN AVENUE AT ADAMS STREET/CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603/TELEPHONE: (312) 443-3600/CABLE:ARTI
May 18, 1978
Ms. Jane E Redman
11 ½ South Forest
Waupun, Wisconsin 53963
Dear Ms. Redman:
Thank you for your letter of May 3rd addressed to the Art Institute, which has been forwarded to this office for reply.
Your diorama is, I think, of 19th century date and not of the 17th century, although, as I am sure you will understand, it is most difficult for us to tell anything about a given object without having seen it. In the case of such mechanical automata it is most difficult for us to tell anything without having seen the mechanism which operates the piece. The fact that the windows and doors in your piece have inlaid nacre is in itself an indication of a 19th century date since this was a popular material then and was not a particularly fashionable one during the 17th century, which had a preference for hardstone.
The piece is probably English or Irish of origin, with the original idea having been taken from an Italian or French piece.
I do not know of a similar automoton in a museum in Chicago, unless the collector from whom you purchased it was referring to the diorama in the Chicago Historical Society which has to deal with the great Chicago fire and the Columbian Exhibition of 1893. There is certainly not an object similar to it in the collection here. Since the subject of the piece, is however, religious, there might be a similar piece in the D'Arcy Gallery at Loyola University, the curator of which is Father Donald Grow.
Unfortunately, no American museum can offer monetary value on objects belonging to private parties. For this you would require the services of a qualified appraiser. Persons in the Chicago area who could help you are Kelvyn G. Lilley, 620 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 520, Chicago, Il 60611, Ross Edman, Art and Architecture Department, University of Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus, Chicago, Illinois 60680, or Taylor Williams, 257 E. Delaware, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Naturally, any of these gentlemen would charge for their expertise, and you should be prepared to pay their fee for which you will receive a written and researched document establishing their opinion and monetary value on the object. I am returning your snapshot herewith and hope that the aforegoing information is of some use to you.
Sincerely yours,
John W. Keefe
Curator
European Decorative Arts
Encl.
JWK:nf
Encl.Acquisition
Accession
2010.0006Source or Donor
Jane RedmanAcquisition Method
LoanCredit Line
Everdine Gesell