This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, one the 20th century’s most influential schools of art, architecture, and design. The movement was led by founder Walter Gropius, who in 1948 was commissioned by Harvard Law School Dean Erwin Griswold ’28 S.J.D. ’29 to create the first Harvard graduate residence center in response to a housing shortage. The Harvard Art Museums are celebrating the anniversary with a special exhibit, “The Bauhaus and Harvard,” through July 28. The Harvard Law School Library has an exhibit, “Creating Community: Harvard Law School and the Bauhaus,” on display at the HLS Library Caspersen Room through July 31.
You can also experience the Bauhaus everyday on the HLS campus. Much of the original artwork from the graduate complex can been seen in the Caspersen Student Center, including Josef Albers’ brick relief “America” and a Joan Miró ceramic mural in the dining room. Outside you can observe the Bauhaus landscaping and design features in the area around the Caspersen Student Center and the dorms. The slideshow highlights a tour of “HLS’s Bauhaus-Built Spaces” led by Charlotte Leib, curatorial intern at the Harvard Art Museums and graduate student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, in the spring. Before you embark on your own tour, read the Harvard Law Bulletin’s When Harvard Went Modern for more on the understated art of the Bauhaus at Harvard Law.
