Wiener Werkstatte: 1903-1932 (Special Edition) [Hardcover]

Gabriele Fahr-Becker (Author), TASCHEN (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008 | Series: Special Edition

The Vienna Workshop and the "total work of art" - Founded in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Fritz Waemdorfer, the Wiener Werkstatte ("Vienna Workshop") was a collective of architects and craftsmen which aimed at fusing architecture and interior design into a Gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art. Experimenting with various materials (gold, precious stones, and papier mache, for example), the artists of the Wiener Werkstatte created buildings and objects which combined classical elegance with streamlined functionality. Though the workshop lasted only thirty years, its influence is still strong today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Another stroke of genius by TASCHEN, a gloriously illustrated in-depth account of the 'total work of art' and the most important achievements of that creative endeavor." design report, Stuttgart"

About the Author

Gabriele Fahr-Becker studied art history, archaeology, and philosophy, and gained her doctorate from Munich University in 1970 with a thesis on Art Nouveau. She has published numerous books on turn-of-the-century art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; 25th edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822837733
• ISBN-13: 978-3822837733
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful images, impenetrable text, February 9, 2009

By 

Ruby Brooks "Ruby" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Wiener Werkstatte: 1903-1932 (Special Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is as beautifully printed as every Taschen book in my experience. The photography is gorgeous and the book is a good comprehensive pictorial survey of the Wiener Werkstatte. I've deducted a point because the text is badly translated from the German. The grammar is pretty thick, almost unreadable in sections. Too bad, because otherwise it would be a five-star book, especially at Amazon's reasonable price.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent overview of Wiener Werkstatte movement, November 16, 2009

By 

Ivor E. Zetler (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wiener Werkstatte: 1903-1932 (Special Edition) (Hardcover)

The Wiener Werkstatte (Vienna factory) existed from 1903-1932. It was formed by a community of visual artists and its aim was to make design art accessible to everyone. Its motto was "better to work 10 days on one product than to manufacture 10 products in a day". The first years of the 20th century were heady times in Vienna. Think of some of the personalities active there; Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and, lurking ominously in the background, Adolf Hitler.

This very reasonably priced book gives an excellent overview of the many aspects of the Wiener Werkstatte. It covers some of its major architectural achievements,

including the Purkersdorf Sanatorium (Vienna) as well as the wonderous Palais Stocklet in Brussels. The prime mover in these two ventures was the multitalented Josef Hoffmann. He was also involved in design of furniture, glass, woodwork, metalwork, jewelry and silverware. These design areas are given good coverage in the book which also features fine arts and textiles. There are numerous good quality photographs and the text is interesting and quite readable.

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, May 31, 2011

By 

Sebastian Lemaitre D - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wiener Werkstatte: 1903-1932 (Special Edition) (Hardcover)

There's not too much books about the Wiener Werkstatte and this covers a lot. Taschen knocks it out of the stadium with this book again. If you are into design, this book is a must have.