The ornate pulpit of a ruined monastery forms the focus of this Gothic revival sidewall. The scene is bordered on either side by a large pillar with what could be a spiral staircase wrapped around it. Done in subdued monochrome, the detailing of the pulpit is beautifully done as is the gradation of color in...

There are many types of staircase models in the Thaw collection, much of which was donated in 2007 to Cooper Hewitt, to coincide with an exhibition Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces The Eugene and Clare Thaw Gift that I was lucky enough to curate after studying their significance for the acquisition. Joan K. Davidson, whose...