Biedermeier. The invention of simplicity
Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2006
ISBN 978-3-7757-1795-3
The comprehensive exhibition catalogue Biedermeier. The Invention of Simplicity is dedicated to the stylistic, cultural and social significance of the Biedermeier period in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848, focussing on furniture, home decor, painting, graphic art, fashion, glass and porcelain.
The contributions by renowned authors such as Christian Witt-Dörring, Hans Ottomeyer and Laurie A. Stein analyse the Biedermeier period as an expression of a bourgeois lifestyle that combined simplicity, clarity and functionality with a high degree of aesthetic sophistication. The typical design elements of this era - for example in the design of seating and carcass furniture - are interpreted in the context of the political stability after the Congress of Vienna and the beginning of industrialisation.
The richly illustrated plate section documents over 400 exhibits from international collections, including numerous important pieces of furniture that exemplify the style-defining character of the Biedermeier period. An indispensable work for the art and cultural-historical study of the early 19th century.