Otto Wagner (Basic Art)

by August Sarnitz

Otto Wagner (1841–1918) is one of the most significant figures of turn-of-the-century architecture. He was associated with the Viennese Secession, a group of artists and designers headed by Gustav Klimt that initiated a departure from the conservative style of the Viennese Künstlerhaus. Wagner’s visionary approach, described as structural rationalism, pioneered the use of materials such as glass, steel, and especially aluminum to redefine Viennese structural identity. From the imposing Austrian Postal Savings Bank to the scintillating St. Leopold Church at Steinhof, one of the most important Art Nouveau churches in the Discover the breadth of Wagner’s career as well as the political, economic, and social dynamics of his time. This incisive overview features a map locating all of the architect’s most renowned projects and recent, fresh photography from masters like Keiichi Tahara. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Architecture series an introduction to the life and work of the architect the major works in chronological order information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)

96 pages, Hardcover

Published March 13, 2018

Reviews

[Artyom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book if you want to learn about work of Wagner and his creative genius. However, it contains no information (except for a couple of paragraphs) on his childhood, private life as an adult or what influenced him to become what he had become as an artist. A book on Alphonse Mucha from the same Taschen series, for instance, covers both biographical and artistic sides of the artist.

[?0?0?0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only way to improve on this - since the content is excellent and well selected - would be to increase the size slightly and include more essays and the like on his work. Otherwise, this is a book I can't recommend enough.