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Gropius

The Man Who Built the Bauhaus

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Gropius

Written by: Fiona MacCarthy
Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
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The impact of Walter Gropius can be measured in his buildings - Fagus Factory, Bauhaus Dessau, Pan Amb - but no less in his students. I. M. Pei, Paul Rudolph, Anni Albers, Philip Johnson, Fumihiko Maki: countless masters were once disciples at the Bauhaus in Berlin and at Harvard. Between 1910 and 1930, Gropius was at the center of European modernism and avant-garde society glamour, only to be exiled to the antimodernist United Kingdom during the Nazi years. Later, under the democratizing influence of American universities, Gropius became an advocate of public art and cemented a starring role in 20th-century architecture and design.

Fiona MacCarthy challenges the image of Gropius as a doctrinaire architectural rationalist, bringing out the visionary philosophy and courage that carried him through a politically hostile age. Pilloried by Tom Wolfe as inventor of the monolithic high-rise, Gropius is better remembered as inventor of a form of art education that influenced schools worldwide. He viewed argument as intrinsic to creativity. Unusually for one in his position, Gropius encouraged women's artistic endeavors and sought equal romantic partners. Though a traveler in elite circles, he objected to the cloistering of beauty as "a special privilege for the aesthetically initiated."

©2019 Fiona MacCarthy (P)2020 Tantor
20th Century Architecture Art & Literature Imperialism Interwar Period
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What an epic, interesting and important biography! I have always been Bauhaus curious and this book satisfies my interest in this artistic institution, as well as the man who created it. It was intriguing to picture Gropius, Kandinsky and Klee all there at the beginning. Gropius was first and foremost an architect, so this is also a great primer on architecture, complete with his relationships with other great architects. Very well written. Highly recommended.

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