Bauhaus: Living Art

by Boris Friedewald

This accessible introduction to the Bauhaus tells the story of a radical concept of artistic expression that would transcend the traditional boundaries of the arts. Written in an engaging journalistic style and featuring an innovative layout, the book sheds light on the unconventional lives of the people involved in the Bauhaus, examines the experimental teachings of the movement, and profiles its major figures. This new volume in the Living Art series gives an overview of the developments and ideas of the Bauhaus and offers new perspectives on the art and personalities of this important era. Including approximately 100 full-colour reproductions, this volume presents the historical context that fostered the movement and introduces readers to the major Bauhaus artworks and artists. A fascinating introduction for anyone interested in learning about this renowned movement, here is a book that is as readable as it is informative.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[David Fulmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very brief introduction to the Bauhaus, the revolutionary design school in Germany, begun in 1919 and presided over by Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe, where numerous notable names in art, architecture, furniture design, graphic design, and textiles either taught or were students during its 14 year lifespan. The cover flap has a timeline and the back flap has short bios of many of the people associated with the Bauhaus and I recommended starting with those 2 resources because the text of the book isn’t always straightforward. The book's strengths are in conveying the philosophy and the atmosphere of the school, but the text is so brief that there is no time to get into an in depth discussion of any of the topics, unfortunately. It is amply illustrated with a few images that are famously associated with the Bauhaus and many more that are less well-known. Overall this is a well-illustrated, brief overview of a school which had an outsized impact on architecture and design in the twentieth century.

[Alan Fricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent illustrated intro to the bauhaus

[Ekaterina Kiseki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic text with great illustrations and poor typography

[clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

good surface level introduction to bauhaus.

[Mark Daye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the history of Bauhaus.