The Bauhaus

Recently, we read about the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus, or the Staatliches Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts. It operated from 1919 to 1933, when it was closed by the Nazi's.

The Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar
and was famous for the approach to design that it taught. The Bauhaus style became one of the most influential styles in Modernist architecture and modern design. It had an influence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography.

The school existed in three German cities (Weimar from 1919 to 1925, Dessau from 1925 to 1932 and Berlin from 1932 to 1933), under three different architect-directors: Walter Gropius from 1919 to 1927, Hannes Meyer from 1927 to 1930 and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe from 1930 to 1933, when the school was closed by the Nazi regime.

The Bauhaus was known for designs that were of simplified forms, rationality and functionality. During an era influenced by the industrial revolution, Bauhaus attempted to reconcile mass production with artistry.

When the school was closed in 1933, many of the people associated with it fled to America.



Harvard University, not to be confused with Parkland College (just checking to see if you are still paying attention) is the home of the The Busch-Reisinger Museum. This museum is the only museum in America devoted to promoting the informed enjoyment and critical understanding of the arts of Central and Northern Europe, with a special emphasis on the German-speaking countries.

Founded in 1901 as the Germanic Museum ,the Museum has developed into one of the leading collections of modern art from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and related cultures. The Museum was renamed the Busch-Reisinger Museum in 1950 in honor of the related St. Louis families which had contributed decisively to its support.

Today, the Museum has especially important holdings of Austrian Secession art, German expressionism, 1920s abstraction, and material related to the Bauhaus (including archives of Lyonel Feininger and Walter Gropius). In addition to notable collections of late Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque sculpture, 16th-century painting, and 18th-century porcelain, the Museum has recently focused on deepening its holdings of post-war and contemporary art from German-speaking Europe. The collection of unique and editioned artworks by the post-war artist Joseph Beuys is among the world's most comprehensive.

For each entry in your blog, write one paragraph describing your selection:

* Describe what it is- The Bauhaus in America -The Busch-Reisinger Museum and poster done by Lyonel Feininger .
* Describe its function- Houses a collection of related work
* Describe where you saw it- online
* Discuss the style of the design & typography- Bauhaus
* Discuss the quality of the artwork- Formidable
* Discuss what attracted you to the piece- It is related to our class work.
This is a poster done by Lyonel Feininger .
Feininger helped found the Bauhaus in 1919. He stayed there for the next six years and completed a number of abstract architectural works.

With Cubist style and evocative color, he depicted modern life, especially factories, bridges, ships, harbors, and buildings.

Feininger was born in the United States, but moved to Germany in 1887 to study music. However, his main interest was art, and he remained in Germany until 1936, working as an illustrator of children's books and cartoonist.
In 1919, he was invited to join the faculty of the Bauhaus and remained there until Hitler closed the school in 1933. During those years, he formed the group including Kandinsky and Klee.