Otto Wagner/Gustav Klimt

Book excerpt: At the turn of the 20th century, the Vienna Secession shook the worlds of art and design, breaking the rigid constraints of an esthetic dominated by slavish emulation of prior styles. Nowhere is this paradigm shift better exemplified than in the works of the two Austrian creators featured here. Architect Otto Wagner (1841-1918) famously rejected the eclectic imitation and combination of historical styles that had dominated European architecture, advocating instead constructions aware of modern materials, modern needs, and modern society. Painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) broke with an academic art style to develop an intensely personal style favoring fluid lines, bold colors, provocative imagery, and diverse media. Otto Wagner/Gustav Klimt, the third title in the Duets series, brings together the work of these two artists in order to present a rich comparative study. Essentially three volumes in one, a section on each artist presents a brief biography and an examination of some major works, with a third section that compares the images and ideas of the two artists. Art and architecture lovers will treasure this book for years to come.