The Sources of Modern Architecture and Design (World of Art)

This book is a classic. I read it as a required book when working for my degree in design. That was many years ago, and I remembered it and just had to have it. I wasn't disappointed. It lets you see the evolution of modern design, from the time of William Morris.

Was good condition

An excellent primer on the 19th and early 20th century sources of Modern Architecture, but a little thin when it comes to the underlying theories that set the stage for the movement that began after WWI. Pevsner starts with the British Arts and Crafts Movement and ends with the Deutscher Werkbund, which the Arts and Crafts Movement inspired. He covers the short Art Nouveau era, making some interesting comments on the role Gaugin played in it by inspiring a return to primitivism in the early stages of the movement. He notes the strong impact Frank Lloyd Wright had on the European architects at the turn of the century with the publication of the Wasmuth monograph, and the further impact of Cubism in leading to the further abstraction of architectural form. But, for the most part the book is a catalog of buildings and decorative designs that will give the reader a good starting point for investigating the roots of the Modern Movement.

This met my expectations

There are so many problems with this book I don't even know where to begin. Pevsner writes in passive voice throughout the text, the paragraphs are filled with people referenced only by surname, the author takes up much more space quoting architects and designers rather than describing or analyzing the buildings and objects that are ostensibly the subject of the book, and nearly all the reproductions are black and white. There is no logic to the choice of the few color illustrations--single insignificant decorative arts objects are given a full page while Victor Horta's breathtaking and pivitol no. 6 rue house is relegated to a tiny black and white...?!? The intention of focusing on and explaining the sources of modernist design is a smart one, but readers should look elsewhere for the information this text purports to elucidate; especially a text that employs contemporary approaches to history (Pevsner's first edition was from 1968 and clearly has never been changed in any reprinting).

Very well written,and informative

Lovely book, lots of great information and images, easy to read.Not kust for academic reading it's an information book for all that I have found really enjoyable.