Biography of the American architect Louis Sullivan. "In this fascinating portrait of Louis Sullivan (1856 - 1924), Robert Twombly documents both the great architect's aesthetic development and his lifelong personal and professional obsessions. Twombly charts Sullivan's single-minded pursuit of a new architectural style, his rapid rise to professional prestige and public acclaim, and his tragic decline into bankruptcy and obscurity. With skill and sensitivity, Twombly suggests some of the probable causes for that decline, including Sullivan's emerging homosexual proclivities and his break wiht his long-time partner Dankmar Adler. Placing Sullivan's work in its cultural setting, Twombly provides both a major critical study of a founding father of American architecture and an impressive work of social history. Numerous drawings and photographs of landmark buildings accompany the text." -- from back wrapper. Includes notes, index, and source of illustrations. Printed in black-and-white.