Bay window ceiling sgraffito

Edgar Miller
1931
Plaster, paint

This nook holds an example of Miller’s use of the sgraffito technique that decorates the ceiling of the western bay window of the Garden of Paradise Room. The nook welcomes guests to the floor with its bright, jewel-like colors. When a visitor then approaches and sits on the bench of the bay window, a simple glance upwards reveals even more incredible detail. For the sgraffito method, Miller selected brilliant, mineral-based paints, layering colors directly on the stucco surface , and then reductively scratching away to reveal his eclectic design patterns and motifs. The paint was very likely chosen to match the the cobalt and earth-tones that shine through the stained glass below.

The sgraffito work was carefully restored and retouched in the restoration of the Glasner Studio in the mid-2000s.