Bruno Paul – the Life and Work of a Pragmatic Modernist 128 Pp
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Edition Axel Menges GmbH Esslinger Straße 24 D-70736 Stuttgart-Fellbach tel. +49-0711-574759 fax +49-0711-574784 William Owen Harrod Bruno Paul – The Life and Work of a Pragmatic Modernist 128 pp. with 205 ill., 233 x 284.5 mm, hard-cover, English ISBN 978-3-932565-47-2 Euro 59.00, sfr 89.00, £ 39.00, US $ 69.00, $A 109.00 At the dawn of the 20th century, Bruno Paul (1874–1968) stood like a colossus astride the landscape of an emerging Modernism. As an illustrator, architect and educator his influence was unequalled. Arguably the most important German designer of his generation, his work was ubiquitous in the technical and professional publica- tions of his day. For five decades, Paul’s reputation was unparal- leled among progressive German artists. As a young man he was a member of the Munich avant-garde responsible for the creation of the Jugendstil. As a designer of furniture and interiors, he achieved a commercial success unmatched by his illustrious con- temporaries. In the light of his professional accomplishments, he was the most influential German architect of his generation, a fig- ure of international significance. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Meyer and Kem Weber were among his students, and their work developed from the practices of his atelier. Indeed, as director of Distributors the Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie und angewandte Kunst in Berlin he presided over an institution that rivaled the Bauhaus as Brockhaus Commission a center of progressive instruction in the arts. Kreidlerstraße 9 Despite the renown he enjoyed at the height of his career, Paul’s D-70806 Kornwestheim name has been largely absent from the standard histories of the Germany modern movement. Indeed, this book is the first comprehensive tel. +49-7154-1327-33 study of his life and work. Nevertheless, Paul’s story embodies a fax +49-7154-1327-13 significant facet of the history of 20th-century design: the develop- ment of Modernism in Central Europe and its coalescence from Lavis Marketing the influences of Jugendstil, Elementarism, Classicism, Expression- 71 Lime Walk ism and Functionalism. Paul played a prominent role in this coales- Headington cence, and he deserves a place of honor in the history of the mod- Oxford OX3 7AD ern movement. Yet his biography also encompasses a less familiar, United Kingdom but no less significant, aspect of the history of modern design. It tel. +44-1865-767575 is the story of a pragmatic Modernism that occupied a middle fax +44-1865-750079 ground between avant-garde experimentation and conservative professional practice, a Modernism that was timeless, practical National Book Network and principled. It was this pragmatic Modernism that won the 4501 Forbes Boulevard patronage of the middle classes and established progressive Lanham, MD 20706 design as an accepted alternative, and eventually as the preferred USA alternative to the period styles. Moreover Paul’s pragmatic Mod- tel. +1-800-462 6420 ernism, and its underlying principles, remain as relevant today tel. +1-301-459 3366 as when they were first conceived. fax +1-301-429 5746 William Owen Harrod is a graduate of the Massachusetts Insti- tute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin, where he books@manic received his doctorate in architectural history. He is a practicing POB 8 architect, theoretician and historian, based in Austin, Texas. Carlton North Victoria 3054 Australia tel. +61-3-9384 1437 fax +61-3-9384 1422 W At the dawn of the 20th century, Bruno Paul (1874–1968) stood like a colossus astride At the dawn of the 20th century, Bruno Paul the landscape of an emerging Modernism. As an illustrator, architect and educator his illiam Owen Har William Owen Harrod (1874–1968) stood like a colossus astride the land- influence was unequalled. Arguably the most important German designer of his gen- scape of an emerging Modernism. As an illustra- eration, his work was ubiquitous in the technical and professional publications of his tor, architect and educator his influence was un- day. For five decades, Paul’s reputation was unparalleled among progressive German equalled. Arguably the most important German artists. As a young man he was a member of the Munich avant-garde responsible for designer of his generation, his work was ubiqui- the creation of the Jugendstil. As a designer of furniture and interiors, he achieved a Bruno Paul tous in the technical and professional publications commercial success unmatched by his illustrious contemporaries. In the light of his Bruno Paul of his day. For five decades, Paul’s reputation was professional accomplishments, he was the most influential German architect of his unparalleled among progressive German artists. generation, a figure of international significance. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Adolf As a young man he was a member of the Munich Meyer and Kem Weber were among his students, and their work developed from the The Life and Work avant-garde responsible for the creation of the practices of his atelier. Indeed, as director of the Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie Jugendstil. As a designer of furniture and interi- und angewandte Kunst in Berlin he presided over an institution that rivaled the Bau- of a Pragmatic Modernist ors, he achieved a commercial success un- haus as a center of progressive instruction in the arts. r matched by his illustrious contemporaries. In the od light of his professional accomplishments, he was the most influential German architect of his gener- ation, a figure of international significance. Ludwig Br Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Meyer and Kem Weber were among his students, and their work devel- uno Paul oped from the practices of his atelier. Indeed, as director of the Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie und angewandte Kunst in Berlin he presided over an institution that rivaled the Bauhaus as a center of progressive instruction in the arts. Despite the renown he enjoyed at the height of his career, Paul’s name has been largely absent from the standard histories of the modern move- ment. Indeed, this book is the first comprehensive study of his life and work. Nevertheless, Paul’s story embodies a significant facet of the history of 20th-century design: the development of Mod- ernism in Central Europe and its coalescence from the influences of Jugendstil, Elementarism, Clas- sicism, Expressionism and Functionalism. Paul played a prominent role in this coalescence, and he deserves a place of honor in the history of the modern movement. Yet his biography also encom- passes a less familiar, but no less significant, as- pect of the history of modern design. It cupied a middle ground between avant-garde experimen- tation and conservative professional practice, a Modernism that was timeless, practical and prin- cipled. It was this pragmatic Modernism that won the patronage of the middle classes and estab- lished progressive design as an accepted alterna- tive, and eventually as the preferred alternative to the period styles. Moreover Paul’s pragmatic Mod- ernism, and its underlying principles, remain as relevant today as when they were first conceived. William Owen Harrod is a graduate of the Mas- sachusetts Institute of Technology and the Univer- sity of Texas at Austin, where he received his doc- torate in architectural history. He is a practicing ar- chitect, theoretician and historian, based in Austin, Texas. Menges 069.00 Euro ISBN 3-932565-47-9 108.00 sfr 57900 048.00 £ 079.00 US $ 128.00 $A 9 783932 565472 William Owen Harrod Bruno Paul The Life and Work of a Pragmatic Modernist Edition Axel Menges Contents 6 Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 9 1. The making of a pragmatic Modernist: 1874–1896 Seifhennersdorf 9 – Dresden 11 – Munich 12 16 2. Turn of the century in Munich and the culture of youth: 1896–1906 Bruno Paul as illustrator 16 – Simplicissimus 17 – Simplicissimus and liberal politics 20 – Modern graphic art and modern life 21 – Bruno Paul and the applied arts 24 – The artist as architect 28 – A new direction 29 30 3. The reconquest of a harmonious culture: 1906–1912 Paul’s appointment to the Berlin school of applied arts 30 – The first architectural works of Paul’s Berlin practice 32 – Paul and the Werkbund 37 – Typenmöbel 38 – Reforming the arti- facts of daily life 40 – Interiors for Norddeutscher Lloyd 42 – The touring exhibition »German Applied Arts« 44 – Paul’s residence in Berlin 45 46 4. War and revolution: 1912–1920 Educational reform 46 – Furniture and interiors 1912–1914 48 – Architectural practice on the eve of the World War 52 – Bruno Paul and the 1914 Werkbund debate 52 – The war years 55 – Revolution 58 – Reform and the culture of revolution 60 61 5. Consolidation and renewal in the Weimar Republic: 1920–1925 Architectural Expressionism 61 – Furniture and interiors 64 – Expressionism and the middle class 65 – Seifhennersdorf 67 – The Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie und angewandte Kunst 69 – Paul versus the Bauhaus 70 – Renouncing Expressionism 72 73 6. Pragmatic Functionalism and the timeless German building arts: 1925–1932 The Plattenhaus H 1018 73 – The architecture of modern commerce 74 – The modern home 76 – Villa Traub and the architecture of modern life 77 – Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie und angewandte Kunst 82 – The New World 83 – Pragmatic Functionalism 85 86 7. An anonymous coexistence: 1932–1945 Condemnation 86 – Paul and the aesthetics of the »Drittes Reich« 88 – A personal compli- cation 89 – Farewell to the Vereinige Werkstätten 89 – »An anonymous coexistence« 91 93 8. Beginnings and endings: 1945–1968 Starting over 93 – Returning to Berlin 96 – Ending a career 97 99 Conclusion 101 Catalog 111 Bibliography © 2005 Edition Axel Menges, Stuttgart / London 114 Notes ISBN 3-932565-47-9 All rights reserved, especially those of translation 126 Index into other languages.