National Academy of Design Competition, New York, New York, South Elevation

Trained in New York, Peter Bonnett Wight was one of the pioneers of the American architectural profession. Wight was inspired by theories of ornament, color, and historicism found in the writings of English architect and theorist John Ruskin. These concerns led to his very early adoption of the High Victorian Gothic for such important commissions as the 1861 National Academy of Design in New York, which did much to popularize this eclectic style in the United States. The National Academy’s polychromatic herringbone brick and Gothic tracery were drawn from the Doge’s Palace in Venice—a building Ruskin believed was the most important Gothic structure in the world. Wight moved to Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871, and became an early promoter of progressive architecture as well as an accomplished critic. His 1919 donation of his library, drawings, and personal papers provides an invaluable look at the ideas and trends guiding architects in the early years of the profession.