One of a pair of vertical drawings designed to be printed as a 2-panel mural wall covering. Although each panel can be appreciated individually, it should be noted that elements introduced on the left panel are completed on the right and vice versa. The entire mural depicts musicians playing instruments on one panel and children playing with kites on the other, set against exotic architecture. The types of instruments, and the style of the clothing, kites and architecture suggest the scene takes place in the East (and is reminiscent of miniature paintings and prints from that part of the world.) The elements are drawn in a playful, somewhat flat manner. The view is from an elevated perspective. The vanishing point is below the bottom page equidistant from the outer edge of each panel. The front plane of the building faces the viewer while both sides of the building are also visible (as diagonal planes heading backwards.) There are three areas of action: at street level, on a roof terrace/garden, and in the middle within and outside the building. In this panel, on the street level, the “serenade” is performed by five musicians sitting under a tall, open, canopy structure, in what appears to be an entryway to an outer yard bordered by a veranda like railing. The street has diamond-shaped tiles. The musicians are arranged like the 5 points of a W. Musician #1 sits on the railing, plays an instrument like a wooden flute (a ney?); #2 sits on the ground against the railing, plays an instrument like a broken-necked lute (an oud?) #3 sits on ground further back, plays an odd-shaped lap-held instrument (a zither?); #4 sits on the ground, against the railing (opposite #2) plays an instrument like a lute; #5 sits on ground furthest back, plays an instrument like an elongated acoustic guitar (dulcimer?) #3 and 4 wear turban-like headgear and all wear longish form-fitted jackets and are either barefoot or in sandals. The figures are vey small relative to the entire panel, taking up only the bottom 1/5. The canopy towers over the figures. Its sides have a decorative, loop-and-triangle pattern, and its roof has a pattern like wicker caning. Above the canopy, is a what appears to be a two-sided garden wall with an opening through which tree branches are partially visible. Branches are also visible at the sides and top edges of the wall. Above the opening is a large, cartoon-like, very white butterfly, starkly contrasted against the grey brick wall. (It is a kite whose string is held by children in the adjacent panel.) The side of the wall has a small grid pattern. Towards the left edge of the panel, roughly centered between the branches poking out from behind the wall, is a large 6-pointed star with spokes, drawn with shading as if to convey a source of light creating shadows. It’s another kite (manipulated by a child on the other panel.) Slightly below the star is a fragment of a balcony (completed on the other panel.) An empty sky creates a visual, restful exit from all the patterns in the scene below. The top of the paper appears discolored. The artist makes wonderful use of diagonals, light and dark, multiple patterns and geometric shapes, to create fantasy spaces on different planes, not always decipherable, with a few mysterious half-hidden figures for good measure, all of which keeps the viewer engaged. As this is a 2-dimensional, monochrome drawing (shades of gray on a light background) one of the exciting aspects of the artist’s skill is how she juxtaposes a variety of lines and patterns against each other, some dark and dense, some light and sparse, to distinguish areas and elements from one another, giving each its own voice in the artwork.

See more objects with the tag figures, music, musical instruments, wallpaper design, kites, terrace.

Object Timeline

1948	Work on this object began.
2016	We acquired this object.
2017	We photographed this object. We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Drawing, Serenade, 1948

This is a Drawing. It was designed by Ilonka Karasz and made for (as the client) Katzenbach and Warren, Inc.. It is dated 1948 and we acquired it in 2016. Its medium is graphite, pen and ink on linen. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

These three drawings by Ilonka Karasz are original designs for mural wallcoverings manufactured by Katzenbach & Warren, Inc. in New York. Karasz’s murals were created using a blueprint method of reproduction from original drawings, including these three panels. The drawings represent an important part of the production process, but are exquisite and unique examples of Karasz’s draftsmanship. Together they complement the two sketches already held in Cooper Hewitt’s collection, which feature her designs for metal tableware.

This object was donated by Matthew L. Edelman. It is credited Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.

Print, The Old Man of the Mountain, from The Travels of Marco Polo

Print, The Old Man of the Mountain, from The Travels of Marco Polo
lithograph on paper.
Gift of Allen P. Golden.
1992-174-1-6

One of a pair of vertical drawings designed to be reprinted as a 2-panel mural wall covering. Although each panel can be appreciated individually, it should be noted that elements introduced on the left panel are completed on the right and vice versa. The entire mural depicts musicians playing instruments on one panel and children playing with kites on the other, set against exotic architecture. The types of instruments, and the style of the clothing, kites and architecture suggest the scene takes place in the East (and is reminiscent of miniature paintings and prints from that part of the world.) The elements are drawn in a playful, somewhat flat manner. The vanishing point is below the bottom page equidistant from the outer edge of each panel. The front plane of the building faces the viewer while both sides of the building are also visible (as diagonal planes heading backwards.) There are three areas of action: at street level, on a roof terrace/garden, and in the middle within and outside the building. In this panel, on the street level, a child is rolling two large hoops (almost chest high) one white, one dark, while looking back over his shoulder at a small black and white ball (similar to a soccer ball) perched on a railing. Hovering above and to the right of the hoops, a large fanciful, flying insect, like an abstract dragon-fly. Just below it another smaller hoop rolls near to the right edge of the scene. The boy appears to be in the shadow cast by a large building. There is a tall open portal in the front of the building through which an interior courtyard is visible. A child stands half hidden (one leg, one arm, half a head) in the doorway, holding. an 8-pointed star on a stick (a pinwheel.) Further back in the courtyard, another child stands on a platform about to climb a ladder that appears to lead to the roof terrace. The terrace has a hexagonal shape, a waist high parapet (ledge) all around, dainty cross and circle patterned tile floor, and a gazebo structure in the center. Four children are on the roof (positioned at 10 o’clock, 12 o’clock and 2 o’clock.) At far left (10 o’clock) two children on tip toes lean over the parapet. One has both elbows on the ledge and looks downward, the second looks upward, holding in his right hand a string attached to a kite (visible only on the adjacent panel - the 'butterfly.' ) Towards the back ledge (12 o’clock) a child looks up at the kite he holds over his head - it resembles a fish skeleton with a kite tail trailing from the fish tail. To this right, (2 o’clock) a child straddles the ledge (one foot over the side), holding a kite string in his outstretched hands (the kite is the star on the other panel.) The gazebo has a pointed roof tipped with a spire above which a walled structure rises (part of the garden wall in the adjacent panel.) On the right of the building, near street level there is a large four paned window with decorations resembling crossed boomerangs. On the middle level a balcony protrudes from the building. A striped curtain has blown out from the window and drapes over the balcony rail. A partial figure (half a head, half a chest) peers from behind a window on the balcony. A child hangs from an opening in the balcony rail. (The balcony rail is completed on the other panel.) The top of the paper appears discolored. Among the striking features of this panel are the way the shadows cast by aspects of the architecture appear as large flat geometric shapes and offering respite from the delicate busyness of the patterned walls and the bold linear elements of the ladder, the balcony, and gazebo. The artist makes wonderful use of diagonals, light and shadow, multiple patterns and geometric shapes, to create fantasy spaces on different planes, not always decipherable, with a few mysterious half-hidden figures for good measure, all of which keeps the viewer engaged. As this is a 2-dimensional, monochrome drawing (shades of gray on a light background) one of the exciting aspects of the artist’s skill is how she juxtaposes a variety of lines and patterns against each other, some dark and dense, some light and sparse, to distinguish areas and elements from one another, giving each its own voice in the artwork.

Drawing, Serenade, 1948
graphite, pen and ink on linen.
Gift of Matthew L. Edelman.
2016-37-2

Mural, Serenade, 1948
blueprint method on paper.
s-e-2613

Our curators have highlighted 1 object that are related to this one.

Mural, Serenade, 1948
blueprint method on paper.
s-e-2614

Its dimensions are

365.8 × 101.6 cm (12 ft. × 40 in.)

Cite this object as

Drawing, Serenade, 1948; Designed by Ilonka Karasz ((American, born Hungary, 1896–1981)); Client: Katzenbach and Warren, Inc. (United States); graphite, pen and ink on linen; 365.8 × 101.6 cm (12 ft. × 40 in.); Gift of Matthew L. Edelman; 2016-37-1

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Ilonka Karasz, Works from the Collection.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2FYCNe/
Accession Number 2016-37-1
Object ID 1108750169