Color Source Book of Authentic Art Nouveau Design: 146 Motifs (Dover Pictorial Archives) [Paperback]

Max Benirschke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (May 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486245470
• ISBN-13: 978-0486245478
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #658,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great sourcebook, June 11, 2000

By 

Patricia O'Tuama "rissa" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Color Source Book of Authentic Art Nouveau Design: 146 Motifs (Dover Pictorial Archives) (Paperback)

Max Benirschke was a graphic artist working in "Jugendstil" -- the Austrian-German equivalent of the Art Nouveau movement. This book is a republication of "Buchschmuck und Flachenmuster von Max Benirschke" ("Book Decoration and Flat Design by Max Benirschke") and was originally published by Verlag Martin Gerlach, Vienna and Leipzig (ca. 1902). It contains 146 of his designs on 32 pages and includes everything from small ornaments to frames, borders, decorative initials, magazine frontpieces and book covers done in an assortment of realistic and stylized drawings of flowers, vegetables, birds and people (mostly gargoyles and beautiful women) as well as general geometric shapes. There are even some examples of "tessellation" -- the geometric arrangement of repeating patterns made famous by M.C. Escher.

This is a excellent visual sourcebook for artists and craftspeople plus there is also a brief biography at the end of the book that describes the types of work Benirschke did and those artists and styles that influenced him. The designs would adapt well to graphic arts use (magazine and book covers, newsletters, menus, calling cards, wrapping paper, stationery, rubber stamps, greeting cards and posters) as well as to fabric arts (fabric design, batik and embroidery) and fine arts (painting and woodblock designs).

All of the pictures are done in two colors on white in one of four color combinations: burgundy/dark orange; hunter green/light orange; hunter green/purple; and brown/dark olive-mustard green. Although intended as a source for teaching and for inspiration, you could also laminate these pictures and use them to make pins, bookmarks or ornaments (note however, that the designs are printed on both sides of the page).

Should you buy it? Well, it's an interesting book and worth getting if you want to learn about Max Benirschke in particular or Art Nouveau in general or if you're looking for an alternative to the ubiquitous Mucha. There are a number of beautiful designs here that I have seen in other places but had no idea who had drawn them so it was nice to finally put the images with the artist.