Wien

Art & Architecture

by Unknown, Gerald Zugmann (Fotograf), Achim Bednorz (Fotograf)

Austria's history as a destination for the arts began more than 25,000 years ago with the carving of the Wildendorf Venus and continued throughout the Roman, Gothic and Baroque periods. Today's Vienna is an amalgam of old and new with an abundant mix of museums, galleries, monuments and parks to delight any visitor.

Genres: Art, Architecture, Travel, History, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published February 28, 1998

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".

Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous.

Reviews

[Ilse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three kilos of art and architecture, if reading this isn't good exercise already it anyway makes me aware I cannot afford not starting exercising in the near future any longer. Reading this is a physical challenge.

As stunning, fascinating and beauteous as the city of Vienna is, though.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A glorious book on a glorious city. I originally bought this book after returning from a week exploring the city, particularly its art and architecture, so naturally my appreciation of the book was filtered through the roseate glow of fond memories. Still, I've perused this book several times over the past few years, and I've found it does more than prompt nostalgic memories -- it's an excellent resource for both the serious scholar and amateur art historian.

The book lays out a chronological presentation of Viennese architecture from ancient times up to the present day. There are chapters for the baroque and rococco, the classical era of 1780 to 1890, and then from 1890 to the present. There are separate chapters covering architecture and painting and sculpture written by specialists in the field. The lavish illustrations do a wonderful job of clarifying the text, and you'll find several pages devoted to the city's best known buildings, such as the Belvedere Palace and the Musikverein.

An ambitious soul could easily cobble together a "private" architectural tour from the information in this book (the tome is, alas, absolutely massive and thus not something to be taken along on a trip). However, I do plan to do something of this nature for my next trip to the city in a few months' time. I have a good sense of where I'll be going, so doing preparation shouldn't be too onerous.

The one thing that I wish the book would have done better is give a sense of how urban planning shaped the city -- there was an astonishing building push in the 19th century that laid out the shape of the present day city, and while that might be best discussed in a book on urban planning, I can't help but think that it would benefit a general discussion of the city's architecture as well. (Note: See "The City as a Work of Art: London, Paris, Vienna" by Donald Olsen for just such a discussion.)

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had a $1,000,000, I would buy up every book that the late German publisher, Konemann, released. They are big, fat, and have both great writing and art. This book is a history of Viennese art and architecture from the 15th century through the 20th. In another life, I would of moved to Vienna and tried to make a go of it. There is something about the intersection of deep conservatism and avante garde that is irresistible to me.

[David Bisset · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superbly illustrated book dealing with a city of immense cultural importance. The history of the city is revealed through art and architecture. The commentary is of the highest quality. I would be delighted to enhance my knowledge of the architecture of the city in particular. Much of the post-war art and architecture in spite of some excellent exceptions is, in my opinion, anti-climatic. But that does not detract from the glories of a magnificent city!

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive introduction to arts and architecture in Vienna, well written with mostly very good reproductions and photographs. A bit sketchy towards the end (especially on post WWII art), but still the best one out there.

[Gwen Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vienna, Art and Architecture is in itself a trip to Vienna - beautifully illustrated with photos of palaces, commercial buildings, sculpture and art, and furniture. It's encyclopedic in the coverage from antiquity (according to chapter titles) to the present day of late 1900s. This is a compilation of studies by several authors - leading to some repetition. Rolf Roman was the editor. The history and older periods interested me the most. With all the names of all but a few artists and architects being completely foreign to me, I was only able to skim later chapters with the hope that I might register a tiny bit of recognition when in Vienna.

[?0?0?0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going through a good number of books on Vienna at the moment, and while some of the more specialized books are more to my enjoyment, Rolf Toman's, "Vienna", is a splendid collection of what makes this such an extraordinary city now and before. High-quality photography is matched with informative writings on the place being spotlighted, although only deep enough for the reader to want to run to find more on the location or subject. For anyone who loves Vienna this is a must own.