The Glaswegian architect, designer, and painter was a man ahead of his time. His work, as imaginative and original as other artists and architects of the Art Nouveau period, also extended in other directions and became an inspiration to aspiring artists. In his own time and environment, however, Mackintosh was largely ignored. Under Francis Newberry, the director of the Glasgow School of Art, a talented nucleus of artists was established whose work gained recognition throughout Europe. Mackintosh became a draftsman in the firm of Honeyman & Keppie, later becoming a partner and designing the modern Glasgow School of Art. He also designed several modern interiors and the appropriate furniture for them. Mackintosh finally moved to France, where he dedicated himself to painting a remarkable series of original works that have become as highly prized as his furniture pieces and other designs.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was and remains the most distinguished figure of what was known as the Glasgow School. An architect, decorator, graphic artist, painter and furniture designer, Mackintosh was known for combining the prosaic with the sumptuous, the severe with the romantic. This collection of essays examines his work in relation to the character of Glasgow and other artistic developments of the era. It also considers his contributions, and those of his wife and associates, to the cultural vibrancy of their city.

The essays and illustrations in this handsome volume, published in conjunction with an international retrospective, detail all aspects of Mackintosh's (1868-1928) art. Part of the current fascination with this legendary figure derives from his reputation as a tragic genius, a man exiled from his native Scotland in 1914 because he had German and Austrian connections and largely forgotten at the time of his death. Unlike many critics and historians, however, Kaplan, curator of the Wolfsonian Foundation in Miami Beach, Fla., and the other scholars who here lucidly analyze Mackintosh's work play down the romantic aspects of his life and concentrate instead on his artistic achievements. They show how his early style grew out of Glasgow traditions, discuss at length his architectural commissions?particularly the Glasgow School of Art, the private residence known as The Hill House and the interiors of Glasgow teahouses?and examine his furniture design and painting. They also emphasize his lifelong collaboration with his wife, Margaret Macdonald, a painter whose influence is seen in the ornamentation of his furniture and interiors. The 245 superb illustrations, 114 in full color, attest to the inventiveness and seductive appeal of Mackintosh's work.

The brilliant Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868^-1928) is not an easy subject to tackle because of his impressively varied oeuvre and disinterest in writing or speaking about it. His vision inspired him to work in many forms and on all scales, from the grandeur of buildings to "stunningly inventive" interiors, graphics, and decorative arts. Mackintosh perfected a clean, linear, beautifully proportioned style emphasizing the contrast between dark and light and embodying a sense of calm, restraint, and elegance. Because few think of his home, the industrial city of Glasgow, as an art center, Mackintosh is often thought of as an "isolated genius" ; but as Kaplan and her contributors make clear, there was a lively circle of artists in the Glasgow of Mackintosh's era, and he benefited immeasurably from fruitful collaborations, especially with Margaret Macdonald, who became his wife. This excellent volume--a rich mix of high-quality illustrations and thorough and vivid commentary--was published in conjunction with a major traveling exhibition.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Donna Seaman

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a maverick and the leading architect, artist, and designer Scotland has ever known. Working with a team of leading scholars in the field, Kaplan, curator of the Wolfsonian in Miami, has compiled an informative and lavishly illustrated volume that stakes claim to being the definitive work on Mackintosh. The first of three major sections, "Mackintosh in Context," focuses on his training and contributions to Glasgow, his collaboration with The Four, and his reputation abroad. "Architecture" highlights his renowned masterpieces, The Glasgow School of Art and Hill House, and other works in Glasgow and London. "Art and Design" proudly displays his concept of total integrated design and also discusses his paintings and graphic works. The book closes with a checklist for an accompanying exhibition sponsored by the Glasgow Museum, a chronology, a cast of characters, and an appendix listing Mackintosh buildings and interiors still in existence. This work encompasses and expands on Pamela Robertson's Flowers: Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Elizabeth Wilhide's The Mackintosh Style (both LJ 10/1/95). Highly recommended for libraries and collections emphasizing architecture and decorative arts.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City

length: (cm)31.3 　　　 　　 　　　　　 　 width:(cm)24.5