The Bauhaus: The History of A German School for Interior Design, Textiles, Art and More
Image by Harald Meyer-Kirk from Pixabay
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Bauhaus, a school of design, existed for a short 14 years in Germany but it’s teachings and student’s work influenced the vision for modern art, design, and architecture.
The school was founded in Germany by Walter Gropius, an architect, who established the school to represent a “house of building” as the German name “bauhaus” suggests. A range of crafts and fine art was taught from 1919 to 1933. The Bauhaus sought to combine art and creative experimentation with technical craftsmanship.
The Bauhaus movement differed from the English or American Arts and Crafts Movement of previous decades, that focused on well designed and individually crafted luxury items. The school’s teachings emphasized the development of mass production and the impact it will have in the future. The designers of this movement worked toward functional and aesthetic pieces to be accessed by all.
Club Chair by Marcel Breur with nickel-plated steel tubing and canvas | President and Fellows of Harvard College
All students were immersed in theory and technique in the various workshops- carpentry, painting, weaving, stained glass, metalworking, stagecraft, typography, and pottery. Each course was taught by an artist and an expert craftsman for a balanced perspective on the craft. The courses took three years to complete. It was the goal of the directors and faculty to help young creatives to learn a trade to forever preserve their artistry in craftmanship. This idea would allow craft to be recognized as an art- and not one just for the wealthy.
Some familiar names in art and design history taught their craft at the Bauhaus. These teachers included: Marcel Breuer, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee. The position as director transferred from Walter Gropius to Swiss architect Hannes Meyer, and then onto Ludwig Mies van der Rohe until the school was forced to close by Nazi regime in 1933.
Bauhaus weaving sample | President and Fellows of Harvard College
Anni Albers’ design for a rug not executed | President and Fellows of Harvard College
One important aspect to note is that the Bauhaus included women, who would not get opportunities to study art outside of one’s home. However, many women were cornered to study the “feminine arts” of weaving and ceramics. For example, Anni Albers, who studied painting under an accomplished painter, was assigned to study weaving. She overcame the challenges of learning a new medium in textiles, and was accepted into metalworking and painting. You can read about the histories of the women of the Bauhaus including Gertrud Arndt, Benita Koche-Otte, Florence Henri, and Anni Albers here.
Much of the work produced in a short span of time was reproduced and its influence spread around the world. Much of design and art teachings are modeled after the curriculum and workshop style courses. Students today also learn the fundamentals of design for studies ranging from fine art to architecture based on the Bauhaus.
For more information on the Bauhaus and its members check out these links:
