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Czech Secession

Art and Architecture 1890–1914
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Czech Secession is a lavishly illustrated journey into Prague's vibrant art scene at the turn of the twentieth century. The book explores how a passionate group of young Czech artists deliberately broke away from traditional artistic norms, contributing to the city’s reputation as a fin-de-siècle cultural hub alongside Berlin and Vienna. It traces the development of three distinct but interconnected stylistic schools: naturalistic-impressionistic, symbolist, and ornamental-decorative, challenging the notion of Art Nouveau and Secessionist art as merely decorative styles that faded quickly.

Featuring over three hundred colour plates, this work offers a richly detailed look at an underappreciated artistic movement, celebrating Czech Secession as a unique and significant period in art history.
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Format: Hardback
$11499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in European art history, particularly those fascinated by the fin-de-siècle period and Art Nouveau. It suits art students, historians, and general readers who appreciate lush visual presentations and in-depth cultural explorations.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A lavishly illustrated exploration of forward-looking Czech art around the turn of the twentieth century.

Though it’s less widely heralded than Berlin and Vienna, 1890s Prague was every bit as much a fin-de-siècle cultural centre as its Mittel European peers. At the end of the nineteenth century, the city found itself home to a fervent coterie of young visual artists all deliberately pushing against—indeed, seeking to secede from—the traditional artistic structures of the day.

This book traces Czech Secessionist art from the turn of the twentieth century by following its three main stylistic schools: naturalistic-impressionistic, symbolist, and ornamental-decorative. Though these styles developed separately, their symbiotic relationship gives the art a deeper significance and disrupts the traditional understanding of Art Nouveau and Secessionist art as an eclectic decorative style that faded away at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Illustrated with more than three hundred colour plates, Czech Secession is a fittingly lush tribute to one city’s underappreciated and forward-looking artistic blossoming.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9788024651330

Publisher: Karolinum,Nakladatelstvi Univerzity Karlovy,Czech Republic

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 24 April 2023

Country: Czechia

Imprint: Karolinum,Nakladatelstvi Univerzity Karlovy,Czech Republic

Illustration: 313 color plates

Contributors:

  • Translated by Adrian Dean

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 58.0mm

Width: 267.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 2581g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Petr Wittlich is professor of art history at Charles University. Adrian Dean is a translator from Czech to English.

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