Customer Reviews

The Bauhaus: 1919-1933: Reform and Avant-Garde (Basic Art Series)

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Since getting turned on to Michael de Klerk and the Amsterdam School style of Architecture my interest in other early 21st century modernist movements have begun to catch my eye. A GREAT introduction to the movement, the players and their works. Could've used a bit more on the architecture and furnishings but hey, that's what future book purchases are all about.

This book is a good introduction to the Bauhaus and its history for those who wish to get a brief general overview of this important movement and moment in modern art. It is focused on "the" Bauhaus -the art school itself, and the specific individuals involved in it - rather than the larger trend in art that goes by the same name; in this way it provides a good specific historical grounding for the events and issues that are associated with "Bauhaus". It covers the historical setting in which the school arose, the basic sequence of events involved in its founding and development, and the various changes and moves that took place over the short history of the school. It discusses a large number of the persons involved in the school at different times, including students and informally-affiliated artists who are often overshadowed by the legendary figures associated with the Bauhuas, and in this way too is a useful record of the actual events. It is short, and therefore lacks some detail, but attempts a more comprehensive coverage than many books that merely illustrate well-known figures or works of art. It contains many illustrations of the school, its students, its classes and facilities, and the projects or assignments that the faculty supervised; some of these are reproductions of well-known artworks, but many are informal shots of the actual goings-on of the school, or documentation of student projects that illustrate the nature of the education offered there. Again, this contributes to the value of the book as an historical record, rather than just another catalog of modern art. The book also does not shy away from noting the secondary status of women in the school, or the conflicts in theory and pedagogical approach between the various artists who served as faculty.

In short, this is a fascinating and thorough, although necessarily sketchy, review of the Bauhaus and the specifics of its operations and educational program, as well as the artists, students, and others who passed through it. It will be of value to anyone interested in the Bauhaus or pre-war modern art, and it should prove informative for most non-expert readers, and even as a useful reference source for more knowledgeable historians.