December Gifts

In 1927, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a series of 12 monthly covers for Liberty Magazine based on seasonal themes. Unfortunately, the publishers judged them as too radical for the time. The magazine returned Wright’s presentation drawings, which became the basis for later interpretations executed in diverse media. Each cover design exemplifies Wright’s practice of using a T-square, triangle, and compass to create lively geometric designs.

The concentric squares in the drawing’s center represent an abstract aerial perspective of a Christmas tree. The geometric shapes with lines connecting to the tree represent ornaments while the remaining shapes are colorfully wrapped gifts.