An Outline of European Architecture

by Nikolaus Pevsner, Michael Forsyth (Introduction)

One of the most widely read books on European architecture, Nikolaus Pevsner's landmarkwork was first published in 1942. Through several revisions and updates during Pevsner's lifetime, it continued to be a seminal essay on the subject, and even after his death, it remains as stimulating as it was back in the mid-twentieth century.
A revised and updated full-colour edition of the classic study of the history of European architecture.

Genres: Architecture, History, Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Reference, Urbanism

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Sir Nikolaus Pevsner was one of the twentieth century's most learned and stimulating writers on art and architecture. He established his reputation with Pioneers of Modern Design, though he is probably best known for his celebrated series of guides, The Buildings of England, acknowledged as one of the great achievements of twentieth-century scholarship. He was also founding editor of The Pelican History of Art, the most comprehensive and scholarly history of art ever published in English.

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister gave me this book because I was interested in learning about European architecture while I am blessed to live in Germany. Over all the book is very informative with some beautiful photographs and floor plan illustrations. The writing is clear and technical, but not lacking in passion. If there is one thing I can tell about Pevsner, he was a very passionate historian of architecture. The book covers early European architecture through the major developments over the centuries and ends at the beginning of the 21st century (the afterword written by Forsyth covers the period after Pevsner passed away):Carolingian,Romanesque, early -high-late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Modernism and Post-Modernism. The book covered all of the topics that I was interested in and gave me a good start to try to recognize the styles in real life (which are often combined, especially in cathedrals).

For all it has to offer, I give it only three stars because Pevsner only has a slight architectural glossary. He uses a huge amount of terms and only has a handful, with even fewer drawn examples in the back of the book. I spent a large amount of time looking up terms online. I appreciate that he didn't want to condescend to his reader but a simple glossary of each term would have been immensely helpful. I became very frustrated at parts of the book because he would name styles and actual architectural features and I just didn't know what he meant because of the lack of definitions or corresponding photos. That brings me to my other complaint which goes more to the publisher. A cd rom with photos of every named building would be an awesome companion and worth any additional cost to the book. Again, I spent a lot of time on the internet looking up buildings to try to grasp what he was talking about.

The highlight of the book for me was Pevsner's convincing opinions of the qualities and (failures?) of each time period and the architects who created our beautiful cities. He is quite conservative in his tastes but is willing to see the genius of a system that he personally doesn't approve of. I recommend this book for people with a passing interest in Western European architecture, but highly recommend some sort of additional guide for terms and explanations of the really technical stuff, which just happens to be how you can recognize a style for what it is.

I did find an excellent website of medieval architectural terms with pictorial examples: www.pitt.edu

Oh, and it should be entitled "An Outline of Western European Architecture" as he doesn't go eastward of Germany except a couple of mentions of Russia. He does tell you in his introduction that it is about Western Europe and not the whole of Europe but by the title I was hoping for some Central and Eastern Europe as well.

[Theodor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pevsner's book on European architecture may be a celebrated academic work on the subject, fit for those with an above average knowledge on the subject, but a book for the popularization of architecture history it certainly is not.

After a few pages one gets used to the relatively pompous and difficult style of narration. With the haphazard organisation of chapters (Britain and France are given one chapter that covers the period between the 16th century to the 18th), the rather more than frequent insistent name-dropping of architects and pieces of architecture I, personally, could not get used to. The reader should become very comfortable with paragraphs such as "Of blocks of flats those by Mies van der Rohe at Berlin (1925) and Stuttgart (Weissenhof, see below; 1927) deserve mention, of large estates of flats those by Bruno Taut (1880-1938) in Berlin and Ernst May (born 1862) in Frankfurt, both begun about 1926, the one public utility, the other municipal housing. A summing up of the best so far achieved was the experimental estate of the Deutscher Werkbund at the Weissenhof near Stuttgart (1927) in which architects from Gropius and Mies van der Rohe to Oud and Le Corbusier co-operated" if the reader wishes to finish this book with their faculties intact. The parade of mentioned architects seems never-ending, Pevsner being more than comfortable bombarding the supposedly learned reader and speaking to him as his equal. The same is done with the cascade of works of architecture mentioned, many of which have no illustration attached, and the painful verbal description of complex physical spaces demands the reader have a vivid imagination.

Pevsner, a native German, later in his life became enamored with England (citizenship received in 1946) and this infatuation can be sensed in some parts of his work in the form of bias, as attention is very often redirected in this book on European architecture towards English architecture. Little is said of continental Art Nouveau, but the British "Arts and Crafts" movement is discussed thoroughly. The author's preference for modern, cubist, Le Corbusier-like architecture can also be sensed while trudging through paragraphs such as the one copied above. The organic, fluctuant, and blooming architecture of the Art Nouveau that moved European attention from the dusty, old, conservative Historicism movement is safely kept in the shadows by Pevsner, who, in 1933 was on the side of Goebbles and his lot in their tirade against degenerate art. "Pevsner was 'more German than the Germans' to the extent that he supported Goebbels in his drive for 'pure' non-decadent German art"

[❀Nelly❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Läste inte hela men tycker jag är värd att trycka i att den blev läst hahahah

[EAL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Palladio is the best.

Readable. Occasionally the author's supercilious Britishness got irritating (take this with a grain of salt, I'm American) but overall quite good.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweeping work as broad as Europe itself and as deep as it's thousands of years of history. In An Outline of European Architecture not only are the specifics of the predominant architectural styles of each period in European history detailed, but through biographical tangents about the architects themselves and accounts of their buildings' histories, something approaching a social history of Western Europe is arrived at. In doing so Nikolaus Pevsner not only expands the scope of this work, he broadens the significance of architecture itself. It is not merely a means to an end, nor a reflection of the power structures present at the time of construction, but an expression of a people's culture and a median without which their lives can never truly be fully realised.

[Moon]

I didn't finish this not by choice but because there were fifty pages missing.

Yes, the seventy-five year old edition of this book has been through the wars a bit, but from what I could gather there was an error in the printing press those many decades ago where an entire section of the book, both pages and picture plates, were duplicated. It goes straight from page 90 all the way to 160, then to 130 and back up again. I was quite enjoying it, really, but the fact some of it is missing sort of put me off; I'd rather read the whole thing, and that's not possible at the moment, so I can't really give it a rating.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book I read as part of my short-lived attempt to study architecture at university, and maybe the best thing I got out of it.
I admire the other reviewers who chose it for pleasure, because it is heavy going, but as a foundational text for understanding architecture it is excellent.

[Jack Theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a terse study of something that cannot be approached lightly. Very accessible and Pevsner has such associational fluidity - I particularly love his musical references to describe architecture.

[Matin]

Great piece

[Kllrchrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy book to actually read as opposed to dipping into. The text could be written in a much easier style, yet we must persevere and the places, buildings are worth the effort.

I bought it in 1982, dipped into occasionally and recently I have used it to get away from this crushing 'web obsesssion' by means of attempting to work thro the text, reading paper printed books and not being screen based is my new objective these last few months.

I think he dwells too much on certain periods and styles, but then he is documenting the sum total and he is thinking from a pre-war viewpoint and as a scholar. Its too much for me in one read through, so far the early chapters as with all good books have massively broadened my outlook.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some key words from google: bramante, late gothic, borromini, ninth century, soufflot, greek cross, mansart, romanesque style, bruchsal, gothic style, transepts, east parts, romanesque, robert adam, bernini, inigo jones, notre dame, united states, sto spirito, giulio roaman --- GREAT STUFF -- This intro is a good reference for knowing what you're looking at, or looking for, on your European tour. Second only to understanding Latin well enough to read inscriptions carved on buildings.

[Adrian Colesberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my first of many attempts to try to understand architecture. I now know that I can't, not really. It's one of those subjects, like economics, that i just don't pick up easily. And Pevsner is a terrific theorist. I just can't maintain it like I can other subjects. Definitely worth a read for those who can.

[Lauren G · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent, superbly written overview of european architecture,from greek temples to mid 20th century. pevsner is one of my favorite architectural historians, who writes for the enthusiastic and avid learner, with detail and amiable commentary, without being esoteric or boring.

[Alfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful book, but the layout doesn't lend itself to quick referencing and can be daunting to a new comer upon the topic; its more of a complete read through for someone who already has an intermediate knowledge of the topic.

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction and survey of European Architecture. Lucid text, well illustrated.

[David Bisset · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this volume more than once. Pevsner analyses architecture with skill and passion. This edition has a good epilogue and fine illustrations.

[Andrew Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book but I lost it halfway through reading it. Seriously good, Pevsner is one of a kind and I doubt we'll ever see an architectural writer with his depth again.

[Vanlilith · Rating 3 out of 5]

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