The World of Biedermeier [Hardcover]

Linda Chase (Author), Karl Kemp (Author), Lois Lammerhuber (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001

Biedermeier furniture and interior design are recognized today as the first great flowering of haute bourgeois taste in interior design. Beginning in the early 19th century, these bourgeois ideals in design were pursued by a wide range of society from the Hapsburgs and Hohenzollern rulers to the middle classes, from Middle Europe to Italy. Yet Biedermeier's innate classicism, its lyrical and elegant forms, have made it an influential inspiration in our own time. "The World of Biedermeier" celebrates the elements of the style in furniture, decorative elements, paintings, crystal, porcelain and fabrics.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In The World of Biedermeier, interior designer Linda Chase (coauthor, In the Romantic Style) and German antiques maven Karl Kemp explore "the first great flowering of the haute bourgeois," a German era and style named for a cartoon character, Gottlieb Biedermeier, a schoolteacher and poet from small-town Germany invented by the publishers of a satirical magazine. This period, also known as the Pre-March Period, the Restoration, the Age of Goethe, etc., was an extremely difficult time to be living in Europe; stagnant, depressed times were replaced by bloody, frightening times after Napoleon crowned himself emperor. Here, the authors and photographer Lois Lammerhuber present a lavish tribute to the castles, table settings, "austere and simple" furniture and master Biedermeier craftsmen such as Karl Friedrich Schinkel. This lovely collection will be devoured by art historians and interior designers as well as by the House and Garden crowd. 200 color illus.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Linda Chase is an interior designer and the co-author of InYour Own Style and In the Romantic Style. Karl Kemp is a furniture dealer specializing in Biedermeier and Art Deco.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500510555
• ISBN-13: 978-0500510551
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,737,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A study of style over substance, November 22, 2007

By 

Wandzia French "blindguardianangel" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World of Biedermeier (Hardcover)

This book was filled with wonderful photos of the period but is essentially a pretty to look at coffee table book. It is not comprehensive in it's exploration of the style and does not have many examples of furniture to study. For the price l paid it is a disappointing resource to me as a furniture designer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Art Book, August 6, 2006

By 

Anthony L. Smith (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World of Biedermeier (Hardcover)

This is a bautifully done presentation of the Art of Biederrmeier. The book is fine quality and the printing work is beyond compare. You'll not be disappointed with this.

4.0 out of 5 stars Must have but....., April 9, 2011

By 

BAR - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The World of Biedermeier (Hardcover)

This is a must have for Biedermeier enthusiasts. The pictorial references are excellent. However, more expert analysis of the actual pieces and construction would have been appreciated. There are German books in the marketplace that, if translated and advertised as such, would be great references for the Anglo market.