Folk Art of Europe

by Helmuth Theodor Bossert

Recognized the world over as a masterpiece of descriptive crafts presentation, Folk Art in Europe reveals the richness and diversity of the design as well as the imagination and ingenuity of the artisans. The objects illustrated serve numerous purposes — religious, magical, decorative, utilitarian — and range from clothes, textiles, and embroideries to utensils, tools, weapons, furniture, and building materials. The examples are taken from practically all the important ethnological and arts and crafts museums in Europe, and represent folk art of every European country from Portugal to the Caucasus and from Lapland to the Greek Isles.

27 pages of text; 88 color plates.

Genres: Art

115 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 1990

About the author

Helmuth Theodor Bossert was a German art historian, philologist and archaeologist. --Wikipedia

See also H. TH. Bossert

Reviews

[Velvetink · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plates reproduced in this book are the same which were published in Peasant Art in Europe (1927). Don't let the age of the plates fool you. This is still a stunning collection of eye candy for lovers of folk arts. There is a four page introduction, 16 pages of captions, and 88 pictorial pages - mostly photographs but there are a few that consist of detailed drawings - almost all of them in color and printed on heavy glossy paper. The age of the folk art pieces ranges from the 17th century to modern times. Forty pages of plates are devoted to fabrics, rugs and embroidery, and the remainder of the plates contain ceramics, wood, metal and other materials, including furniture and treen. Countries from which the art comes includes: Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and `European Russia.'
To quote the inside front cover: "This book is a wonderful sourcebook and will be an inspiration for artists, artisans, designers, and teachers as well as the hobbyist and lover of beautiful things."

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the 1938 version, text in German. 55 pages of text and 120 pages of color and black-and-white plates. The intro reads: Nearly 1,900 examples of the products of folk art in Europe with special reference to the ornaments and pottery, embroidery, basket weaving and, fabric, wood, glass and metal work.