Bauhaus
German art school that merged crafts with fine arts.
The school became famous for its approach to design, which attempted to unify individual artistic vision with the principles of mass production and emphasis on function. Founded by architect Walter Gropius in Weimar, it was grounded in the idea of creating a Gesamtkunstwerk ('comprehensive artwork') in which all the arts would eventually be brought together. The Bauhaus style later became one of the most influential currents in modern design, modernist architecture, and architectural education.
- Founder
- Walter Gropius
- Field
- Art school combining crafts and fine arts
- Nationality
- German
- Known for
- Unifying artistic vision with mass production and function; influential in modern design, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography
Lore & Background
The school was closed by its own leadership under pressure from the Nazi regime, having been painted as a centre of communist intellectualism. Internationally, former key figures of Bauhaus were successful in the United States and became known as the avant-garde for the International Style. The White City of Tel Aviv, to which numerous Jewish Bauhaus architects emigrated, has the highest concentration of the Bauhaus' international architecture in the world.
Reader's Guide
The Bauhaus movement had a profound influence on subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography. Its style, also known as the International Style, was marked by the absence of ornamentation and by harmony between the function of an object or a building and its design. Specific features include simple geometric shapes like rectangles and spheres, without elaborate decorations; buildings, furniture, and fonts often feature rounded corners, sometimes rounded walls, or curved chrome pipes. The school's approach attempted to unify individual artistic vision with the principles of mass production and emphasis on function. The changes of venue and leadership resulted in a constant shifting of focus, technique, instructors, and politics. The Bauhaus was founded at a time when the German zeitgeist had turned from emotional Expressionism to the matter-of-fact New Objectivity. The Vkhutemas, the Russian state art and technical school founded in 1920 in Moscow, has been compared to Bauhaus, with close parallels in intent, organization and scope.
Did You Know?
- The school existed in three German cities: Weimar, Dessau, and Berlin.
- Staff included prominent artists such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Gunta Stölzl, and László Moholy-Nagy.
- The White City of Tel Aviv has the highest concentration of the Bauhaus' international architecture in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What made the Bauhaus design philosophy so distinctive?
The school tried to marry individual artistic vision with the practical demands of mass production, always prioritizing function. Gropius framed this around the ideal of a Gesamtkunstwerk, a comprehensive artwork in which every discipline would eventually merge.
Why did the Bauhaus shut down in 1933?
Rising political pressure in Germany made the school's progressive, internationalist ethos impossible to sustain, forcing it to cease operations after fourteen years.
Which fields does the Bauhaus still influence today?
Its functionalist approach remains a cornerstone of modern design, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography. Few contemporary design curricula omit reference to Bauhaus principles.
What is the full formal name of the Bauhaus?
It is officially called the Staatliches Bauhaus, meaning the State Bauhaus. The shorter name simply became the universal shorthand for the school and its design legacy.
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