When the French shop, Printemps, opened in New York City this year, we were thrilled to finally get a glimpse of “The Red Room” which had almost become the stuff of urban legend. The abstract mosaic covered room by muralist Hildreth Meière exceeded every expectation. But we had questions! So we went straight to the source: Anna Kupik, great-grandaughter and president of the International Hildreth Meière Association. Please enjoy this brief introduction to the work of a singular artist.
Q: Hildreth’s style is generally categorized as “Art Deco”. Can you talk a bit about her influences and how her work differed from the traditional mural work of the time?
A: It’s true that Hildreth Meière is celebrated as one of America’s foremost Art Deco muralists. But what made her truly unique was how she operated outside any one style or medium. At a time when murals were expected to be either allegorical oil paintings or historical frescos, Hildreth brought a modern sensibility to traditionally “decorative” materials—glass, metal, and ceramic—treating them as fine art integrated into the built environment. She mastered real space—using math, geometry, and material to complement both the viewer’s experience and the building’s form. Her approach was shaped by decades of education and personal travel—she studied at the Art Students League, the California School of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, and even took math courses at Columbia to qualify for service in the Navy during World War I. She joined the Navy the very moment women were permitted, aiming to become an architectural draftsman.
Though denied admission to the Beaux-Arts Institute due to her gender, she found a workaround: the School of Applied Design for Women. There, she participated in Beaux-Arts Institute projects and competitions, regularly earning top honors and gaining the attention of mentors like Ernest Peixotto. In 1921, her connections at the Art Students League led to an introduction to Bertram Goodhue, a prominent architect who championed the start of her career. That partnership, rooted in shared values, culminated in her first major commission: The Great Hall at the National Academy of Sciences. From there, her work continued to integrate art and architecture in ways that were innovative for the time.
Q: The exploration of different mediums is notable when you look at Hildreth’s body of work. What was the process, from sketches to installation, for a mosaic mural?
A: Her mosaic murals were a triumph of design, mathematics, and collaboration.
Design & Sketches: Hildreth’s process began with pencil studies and evolved through detailed colored sketches. For larger commissions, she developed full-scale cartoons that allowed her to evaluate color, scale, and placement directly within the architectural space. Her Navy training in drafting gave her an extraordinary understanding of scale, essential for work in curved or vaulted spaces.
Fabrication: Once approved, these cartoons (the final design drawings used to guide fabrication) were sent to fabricators like Pühl & Wagner in Berlin, where artisans translated her designs into mosaics. Each hand-cut mosaic segment was assembled in reverse on paper using water-soluble glue and tagged so that the installers knew how to put it back together again onsite. Then installers, like the Ravenna Mosaic Company, installed these paper-backed tesserae segments section by section.
Materials & Color: Glass tesserae were crafted from sand, alkalis, and metal oxides heated to over 2000 degrees. Gold was often in demand for Hildreth’s work and this type of tesserae involved sandwiching gold leaf between layers of colored and clear glass. In the apse at St. Bartholomew’s, it is said that over 300 shades of gold were used.
Installation: The mosaics arrived by pallets and were divided into jigsaw-like segments and reassembled on site. In the case of One Wall Street, segments were marked A1 to H3 and discreetly stamped onto one tesserae in each section. Hildreth was often onsite for installations, ensuring accuracy and creative fidelity.
Q: The relationship she had with architects seems key to her success. What was the collaborative nature between the artist and the architect like?
A: Essential. Hildreth didn’t merely decorate buildings—she co-created them. Her earliest commissions came through collaborations with Bertram Goodhue and Ralph Walker. These weren’t just assignments; they were design dialogues. Her commitment to historic research, experimenting with techniques and artistic styles as well as understanding of structure, scale, and light allowed her to speak the same language as architects and contribute to buildings as a creative equal.
Q: What is striking about her work is how much the murals become a part of the architecture. Was this a philosophical choice?
A: Absolutely. Hildreth once said: “A good mural should be something that cannot be taken away without hurting the design of the building.”
This principle defined her approach. Her murals were conceived in concert with the architecture—not added as an afterthought. Radio City Music Hall is a perfect example: her massive metal roundels don’t just adorn the façade—they define it.
Q: “The Red Room” (1931) at One Wall Street has gotten a lot of attention recently with the opening of Printemps. It is significant as her only abstract work. Can you share its history?
A: Often described as a jewel box of architectural abstraction, the “Red Room” is Hildreth Meière’s only large-scale non-figurative mosaic work. Unlike her other commissions, which often feature symbolic or narrative figures, this space is composed entirely of rhythmic form, color gradation, and light—making it a rare and remarkable example of abstract architectural art.
The One Wall Street building has changed hands a few times, starting out as the Irving Trust Company and remaining a bank until the Bank of New York Mellon sold it to Macklowe Properties in 2014. Macklowe converted the building from commercial to residential. The “Red Room” had been closed to the public since 2001, but when it was used briefly as the Compass Sales Office, Open House New York visitors and potential tenants got a rare look in 2022. It was during Open House that we had a chance meeting with Printemps America CEO Lauren Lendrum, and began a wonderful collaboration. Printemps was passionate about preserving and reopening the space—and led the petition for its designation as a New York City Interior Landmark in 2024.
Back in 1931, Hildreth collaborated with architect Ralph Walker and his assistant Perry Coke Smith to create the fully immersive abstract glass mosaic installation for the Irving Trust Company. The space glows from walls to ceiling in rich red and gold tesserae, with gradations that echo the building’s curved stone exterior. Hildreth developed the color transitions, painted the cartoons (the final design drawings used to guide fabrication) and oversaw successful completion of the project in collaboration with the mosaic artisans and fabricators. Each mosaic segment was labeled and custom-made to fit the room’s irregular surfaces, with discreet codes pressed into select tesserae to indicate their placement.
Now, with Printemps’ grand opening and the room’s restoration, there’s been an exciting wave of interest. Visitors can now experience the “Red Room” firsthand during store hours—Printemps felt strongly that this space should be returned to New Yorkers and the world. We at the International Hildreth Meière Association (IHMA) are proud to support its renewed visibility and preservation.
Q: The roundels at Radio City Music Hall are massive—18 feet across and made of metal and enamel. How did her process differ here?
A: The Dance, Drama, and Song roundels required a different kind of artistry. Too large to cast, they were hand-hammered by metalsmith Oscar Bach and finished with enamel by fusing powdered glass to mixed metal surfaces. The result was monumental in scale but radiant in detail. Hildreth worked with her assistants like Lynn Fausett to refine sketches through multiple iterations. One reporter observing the process noted:
“Each of these sketches must be a piece of creative work... never mind how many times the artist has drawn and redrawn it.”
Q: Are there any works by Hildreth that are missing in action?
A: Yes. Her WWII triptychs are especially elusive—she supervised over 500 and painted at least 70 herself, but only a few survive today. One major loss is the original Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932), a monumental sculpture that once adorned the RKO Theater at Rockefeller Center. We like to think it’s sitting in someone’s basement or garage, just waiting to be rediscovered—and reintroduced to the world. We also hope to rescue endangered works, like her murals at St. Michael’s Monastery Church in Union City, NJ whose landmarked building has gone into disrepair.
In good news, we recently helped facilitate the donation of her ceiling study for 32 Avenue of the Americas to Columbia University’s Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library—a win for both preservation and academia. And about 15 years ago we rescued, restored and rehomed her original Prudential Insurance mosaics.
Q: As the President of the International Hildreth Meiere Association (IHMA), what are you working on to bring more awareness to this remarkable body of work?
A: The International Hildreth Meière Association (IHMA) is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and celebrating the life and work of Hildreth Meière. We focus on preservation, education, and inspiration, with initiatives that bring her legacy to new audiences and generations:
• Tour and Lectures with Open House New York and Open House Chicago in Oct 2025
• Exhibitions like the 150th Anniversary of the Art Students League this June 2025, where Hildreth studied and served on the board
• Documentary series (two episodes completed) about Hildreth Meière life and works and are currently seeking a distribution partner
• Educational programs with partners like the Art Deco Society of New York
• Conference likes Crafting the Dream IAC’s 29th Annual American Art Conference in May 2025
• Centennial celebrations of commissions, like the 2024 centennial of the National Academy of Sciences building (Hildreth’s first major commission), and the upcoming centennial of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel in Chicago
Through these efforts, IHMA continues to share the story of a groundbreaking artist whose work endures in paint, glass, and metal. Every generation deserves to know Hildreth—and we’re honored to help make that possible.
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All photos: Courtesy or Copyright of the International Hildreth Meière Association