The Work of G. Rietveld, Architect

This is a monograph on the work of the practicing Dutch architect, G. Rietveld. He began his career as a cabinetmaker in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and later expanded his activities to include architecture. Largely self-taught, he developed his work from the small scale of tables and chairs to large buildings and groups of buildings. He is known primarily for his significant role in the De Stijlmovement, Holland's great contribution to 20th-century design. But the scope and influence of Rietvald's work extends far beyond this movement. The Work of G. Rietveld, Architect,is a study of the architect's total production, ranging from small lamps and typography to large industrial buildings and housing. His work is presented in a text consisting of about 150 pages, illustrated by about 200 photographs, two of which are in color. An illustrated catalogue of about 150 pieces and a complete bibliography of Rietveld's work and writing provide a factual documentation of this important body of work. The architect's theoretical position is revealed in translations of two of his articles, one hitherto unpublished. A full chapter is devoted to the Schroder House, built in Utrecht in 1924. This building represents both an important forward step and a summing-up of the modern movement at this point in its development, in that it embodies in the purest essential form that movement's striving for simplicity of design combined with maximum flexibility of space. Illustrative and critical material are presented chronologically so as to convey the scope, quality, and development of the architect's work, which is analyzed from both a critical and historical point of view. He is seen in this study as a powerful and independent artist, one of the first rank in 20th-century design.Brown, Theodore M. is the author of 'The Work of G. Rietveld, Architect', published 1970 under ISBN 9780262020633 and ISBN 0262020637.