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.
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Book Description
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.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Ruby Brooks
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absototalutely fabulous
This is the best reference for the Wiener Werkstatte and Josef Hoffmann. It is a gorgeous book with beautiful photos. Totally enthralling to look at. Read more
Published on November 17, 2010 by M
5.0 out of 5 stars
Happy Customer
More good service from Amazon. Fast delivery, The book in perfect condition, and me, a happy customer.
Published on February 21, 2010 by Ken, Chicago
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book and beyond reasonable price.
Another in Taschen's fine line of art books, clear, sharp, color illustrations; an extaordinary value.
Published on August 13, 2008 by Richard Hyman
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