Charles Rennie Mackintosh

The essays and illustrations in this handsome volume, published in conjunction with an international retrospective, detail all aspects of Mackintosh's (1868-1928) art. Part of the current fascination with this legendary figure derives from his reputation as a tragic genius, a man exiled from his native Scotland in 1914 because he had German and Austrian connections and largely forgotten at the time of his death. Unlike many critics and historians, however, Kaplan, curator of the Wolfsonian Foundation in Miami Beach, Fla., and the other scholars who here lucidly analyze Mackintosh's work play down the romantic aspects of his life and concentrate instead on his artistic achievements. They show how his early style grew out of Glasgow traditions, discuss at length his architectural commissions--particularly the Glasgow School of Art, the private residence known as The Hill House and the interiors of Glasgow teahouses--and examine his furniture design and painting. They also emphasize his lifelong collaboration with his wife, Margaret Macdonald, a painter whose influence is seen in the ornamentation of his furniture and interiors. The 245 superb illustrations, 114 in full color, attest to the inventiveness and seductive appeal of Mackintosh's work. (July)