Pugin: A Gothic Passion [Paperback]

Mr. Paul Atterbury (Editor), Dr. Clive Wainwright (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 1995

By the early 19th century the Gothic Revival was well on the way to becoming the most important style in Britain and was influencing public taste all over the world. With its particular concerns for pattern, ornament, and anti-classical principles of design and structure, the style remained popular until the 1920s and continues to be well known today. Less familiar, however, is the man who invented the Gothic Revival, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, the most influential designer in 19th-century Britain. This book is the first to offer a complete appraisal of Pugin's life and achievements. As a designer of cathedrals, parish churches, schools, colleges, and private homes, and in particular as one of the two designers of the new Palace of Westminster, Pugin launched Gothic as the State style in Britain and in many other parts of the world. Pugin was also an industrial designer, creating furniture, metalwork, silver and jewellery, textiles, wallpapers, and book design in an integrated and coordinated approach to design that revolutionized public taste. He also influenced opinion by writing books that ranged from design manuals to polemical arguments in defence of his principles. Passi

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (July 26, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300060149
• ISBN-13: 978-0300060140
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A key source in the foundation of arts and crafts, September 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Pugin: A Gothic Passion (Paperback)

This book takes the reader back to the early 19th century and the beginning of the Gothic Revival tradition. We learn how this tradition was a reaction against the industrial revolution and the secularization of society. Pugin reacted against this movement by calling our attention back to the Middle Ages, a world of great faith, intellectual and spiritual integration, and hand craftsmanship. The great pioneers of the Arts and Crafts Movement (Ruskin, Morris, McIntosh, Stickly, Wright) all owe Pugin a great debt of gratitude. The multiple authors deal with various aspects of this multifaceted design genius. Various chapters deal with his early life (he was designing furniture for Windsor Castle at age 15, designing the interiors of the Houses of Parliment in his early 20's!), architecture, furniture, metalwork, ceramics, graphics, etc. The person who kept coming to my mind as I have been reading this book is Mozart. Both were child prodigies. Both were prolific. Both were perfectionists. Both died young. The book is lavishly illustraited with color and black and white photos. The text is well written. The linkage between text and illustraition is consistent and clear. Anyone who is interested in the Arts and Crafts tradition owes it to themselves to read this book. To ignore the contributions of Pugin to the developement of the Arts and Crafts tradition is like building a castle in the air with no foundation.