This visually stunning love letter to the art of craft takes readers
inside Europe's most illustrious--and in many cases
endangered--decorative arts workshops to profile how artisans continue
to maintain the highest centuries-old standards of workmanship and
creativity.
Beginning in the Renaissance, ateliers were established as places for
European artists to work and teach their crafts. Centuries later most of
these spaces have disappeared, but a select few continue to produce some
of the world's most celebrated and sought-after objects in the areas of
crystal, ceramics, wrought iron, fabric, bookbinding, mosaic, wood
paneling, and more.
John Whelan and Oskar Proctor traveled throughout Europe to document
these important spaces, both to celebrate them and to preserve their
disappearing ideals. Ranging from the well- known to the obscure, this
volume takes readers inside dozens of ateliers from Austria, England,
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Sumptuous double-page
spreads feature alluring photography, and fascinating background texts
tell their stories.
By shining a light on their collective value as well as their individual
expertise, this book offers both a historic evaluation of how ateliers
have been shaped by modern forces--and also a clarion call for their
preservation.
