The Sources of Modern Architecture and Design

by Nikolaus Pevsner

The Sources of Modern Architecture and Design|Nikolaus Pevsner|$14.95|The turn of the nineteenth century saw an extraordinary flowering of invention in architecture and design. Two contrasting styles emerged--Art Nouveau and the International style. Professor Pevsner brings a new clarity to an often confusing period, tracing, with the aid of nearly two hundred carefully chosen illustrations, the origins of twentieth-century ideas in architecture and the applied arts. 198 illus., 51 in color.

"No one but Dr. Pevsner could have packed so much information into so compact a work or illustrated it more effectively." --The Times Literary Supplement

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

Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

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

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very good illustrated book on art and all its aspects.
The Times Literary Supplement said:
"No one but Dr. Pevsner could have packed so much information into
so compact a work or illustrated it more effectively"
I agree, it is confussing the Art Nouveau and the International Style
two styles emerging while invention in architecture and design
was flowering.

[Sophy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great architecture and design photographs.

[John David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though the Nikolaus Pevsner’s name launched an entire series of books on modern design and architecture, one would hardly be able to guess it from reading this volume alone, which was written by Pevsner himself and originally published in 1968.

Aside from the illustrations, most of which are in black and white, there are not many good things to be said about this book. Pevsner’s approach covers architecture, furniture, jewelry, and the decorative arts from around the mid-nineteenth century and ends with the very beginning of the Bauhaus, with an interesting section on the Art Nouveau. Beginners will find Pevsner’s approach especially unhelpful, as he does not provide an overarching approach to any of the periods that he covers: instead of starting with some of the broad themes of, say, Art Nouveau, he jumps right into some of the pieces that he wants to discuss. In addition to this, Pevsner’s choices of artists and designers seem arbitrary. Much of the text is simply written description of things that are readily obvious by looking at the illustrations. He does, however, provide some biographical information of the people he discusses which goes some way in contextualizing the information he has to offer.

I would recommend against this book in general, particularly for someone who is looking for a general, thematic approach to the periods covered.

[Lauren G · Rating 5 out of 5]

another excellent pevsner work, a lovely and down to earth outline of pre-art nouveau era work up until the 'international style.' my edition was published in 1975, UK paperback.