Louis Lang (American, 1814 - 1893)
Two Works: "The Gilsey Family" and "Portrait of John Warren Ritch, Architect"
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| These two paintings had the names Gilsey written on the rear referring to Peter Gilsey, 19th century New York City Alderman, real estate developer and tobacco merchant. Mr. Gilsey presumably commissioned Lang to paint a portrait of his family and then a year later a portrait of the architect of his first building. Whereas the family portrait is quite charming the portrait of the architect is a period piece with historical interest. In 1854 Mr. Gilsey built a six story commercial building in New York on the corner of Courtlandt Street and Broadway. Mr. Gilsey chose John Warren Ritch, first secretary of the American Institute of Architects and published author of "The American Architect", a book of model building plans. In the painting the architect. is seen at his drafting table, compass in hand, with the Gilsey Building in the background. The Gilsey Building, Venetian in style, was one of the early iron front buildings with the elements supplied from Daniel Badger's Architectural Ironworks of the City of New York. Although the old Gilsey building is no longer standing, Badger's catalog published in 1868 gave a clear architectural rendering of the building, conclusively identifying it. It is possible that this painting is of Gilsey himself. Possibly Gilsey read Ritch's book "The American Archtitect" had a hand in the design of his building. Considering that Ritch is the architect of record for the structure and that the painting is obviously of the designer it seems most likely that the sitter is Ritch. |
| An image of the old Gilsey Building as seen in "Illustrations of Iron Architecture Made by the Architectural Iron Works of the City of New York", Baker and Godwin Printers, 1865. Plate 10, Number 20. |  |
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