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West Bend Exhibition

Edward Steichen

In Exaltation of Flowers

October 24, 2026–May 30, 2027

MOWA | West Bend

About the Exhibition

“I claim that the flower is a work of art.” –Edward Steichen

Opening Party

October 24 | 2:00–4:00

While Edward Steichen was best known for his photography, he was also an accomplished painter early in his career. Born in Luxembourg, he spent his formative years in Milwaukee apprenticing at a fine art lithographic firm before leaving for Paris in 1900 to pursue painting and photography. Settling in his home in Voulangis, France—referred to as the “magic garden”—Steichen hosted friends and artists, cultivating an environment of creativity and intellectual growth.

Two close friends from this group, Agnes and Eugene Meyer, commissioned Steichen to create mural panels for their Park Avenue townhouse. Standing ten feet high with gold gilding, In Exaltation of Flowers reflects an Art Nouveau aesthetic not unlike works by Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha, artists whom Steichen greatly admired. As a tribute to the artistic lives of the Meyer family and their close friends, each figure in the panels was painted with the flower thought to best echo their character; for example, painter/poet Katharine Rhoades (pictured in the panel to the left) and a friend called themselves the “geranium club.”

Not long after the panels were completed, Steichen gave up painting entirely and instead pursued photography. Unfortunately, the mural was never displayed in the townhome and instead sat in storage for nearly a century. Purchased by Art Bridges in 2015, In Exaltation of Flowers stands as a lasting tribute to a significant moment in Steichen’s life, full of affection and creativity.

On loan from Art Bridges.