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Mackintosh

ISBN 978-3-8365-6160-0 Edition: English ISBN 978-3-8365-6159-4 Edition: French His most famous work is the Glasgow School of Art building, but the creative will of the architect, designer and painter Charles Rennie Mackintosh hardly stopped at everyday objects. Honoured today as a pioneer of modernism , Mackintosh died in misery and poverty. An introduction to the work of an unfortunate genius. The Scottish architect, craftsman, designer, graphic artist and painter Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was one of the earliest pioneers of modern architecture and design. Mackintosh’s will to design knew hardly any limits, from complete buildings and furniture to bed linen and table cutlery, everything was to be part of a uniform, new look. He collaborated with his wife and colleague Margaret MacDonald on many of his works. The couple formed one half of the informal Glasgow collective that was to make design history as “The Four”. The other half consisted of Margaret’s sister Frances and her husband James Herbert MacNair. Mackintosh favoured powerful lines, elegant proportions and motifs from nature and combined a strong dose of Japonisme with a modernist sense of function. Mackintosh’s projects include the famous Willow Tea Rooms, which he designed right down to the menu and for which he designed chairs that are still produced today as classics of furniture design, the private residences and total works of art Windyhill and Hill House as well as the Mackintosh building at the Glasgow School of Art, which marks the threshold from Victorian architecture to the beginning of modernism and was to become his largest and most famous building. The Glasgow Style was enthusiastically received on the continent. In Italy, Germany and above all Austria, artists of the Vienna Secession and Art Nouveau were inspired by its rectangular yet lyrical forms. This volume presents Mackintosh’s oeuvre in all its diversity and honours him as a long misunderstood artist who wrote a decisive chapter in Art Nouveau with his Glasgow Style and had a lasting influence on modern design.

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The Cologne-based book publisher offers a wide range of numerous books. This means that every interested reader can enjoy various works. The family business was founded in 1980. Then, as now, the focus is on a well-stocked selection. While the original idea of the company was to sell comics, the basic theme quickly changed. With an initial print run of 40,000 copies, which sold quickly and at a reasonable price, the gap in the market was recognised. As a result, the range of products on offer was continually expanded over the years. However, the core themes have remained the same and can be seen in the art. Initially, it was the books of others that were simply sold. Due to the increasing popularity and success, more books were published themselves. Angelika Taschen, the former wife of the boss Benedikt Taschen, initially worked as an editor and was responsible for publishing the books for many years. Marlene Taschen took over the business in 2017. The company has offices in Germany, the UK, the USA, Spain, France, Hong Kong and Japan.