Mittel Europa: Living In Style In Vienna, Prague, Budapest And The Lands Of The Danube

by Suzanne Slesin, Daniel Rozensztroch

In this volume, the authors of many acclaimed books on style, including the "Essence of Style" books turn their attentions to the lands east of the Danube, and create "Mittel Europa" - an imaginary country with a gloriously real tradition of architecture and design. This is the heart of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its major cities are Vienna, Prague and Budapest - undoubtedly among the world's most beautiful. We travel with the authors to these quintessential Old World cities and the magnificent countryside to discover in the architecture, interiors and folk arts of the region a thriving design tradition that the 20th century once threatened to extinguish, but that now promises to enrich the decorative arts throughout the World. This book reflects an impressive variety of style and design, from the Baroque opulence of the Habsburgs to the rural simplicity of Slovakian peasants, from the bourgeois respectability of Biedermeier furniture to the revolutionary stylistic upheavals of the Jugendstil, the Vienna Secession, the Wiener Werkstatte, Czech Cubism and other expressions of the modern sensibility. Suzanne Slesin is the assistant editor of the Home section of the "New York Times". Stafford Cliff is a design consultant in London. Daniel Rozensztroch and Gilles de Chabaneix live in Paris.

Genres: Art

252 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

some of the aristocratic styles started to blend together but I really appreciated seeing the small homes under "folk styles", the mountain homes, and the jugendstil/arts and crafts homes.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erikoinen lukukokemus. Tämä oli valokuvakirja, joka esitteli Prahan, Budapestin, Wienin ja muutaman muun Tonavan varrella olevan paikan valikoituja kohteita. Kirjan tunnelma oli haikea. Tuntuma kuin kuvattaisiin menneisyyttä ja aikaa, joka oli joskus, mutta jota nykyisessä maailmanmenossa ei enää tunnista. Jotain unohdettua kulki sivuilla.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed reading this book but was consumed by the pictures even more. House and furnishing styles throughout Central Europe are displayed. This includes Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Trieste. Since the book was published in 1994 and probably photographed in 93, it was done soon after the collapse of the soviet system. The pictures chosen really seem to display the lives of the people. I had not known there was an open air museum near Salzburg, but I do now. What I really like is the mix of houses from the average person and a few famous people.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous book on the style and interior decor of the Vienna, Prague, Budapest area.

[Karen]

#BestCoffeeTableBooks #BestGiftableCoffeeTableBooks

A quirky glimpse into the design of Middle Europe. Not so much France or Sweden, but Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Slesin explores both rural and urban, simple and grand — it’s a collection exploring an aesthetic language you probably didn’t know about (but should).