Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0847820785, Hardcover)

The 13 essays in this sophisticated book, the catalog of an exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi, in Venice, cover extensive historical and philosophical ground: expressionism in war and revolution, expressionist architecture, expressionist manifestoes and critical writing, and more. Although the text is trapped in eyestrain-size type and printed in dense blocks, it's worth getting out the magnifying glass and reading it anyway, flipping back and forth to the many finely reproduced color plates for more immediate rewards. The sections on expressionist architecture are especially good, with plates showing Rudolf Steiner's Goetheanum in sketches and at completion. The various connections among Antonio Gaudi, Peter Behrens, Erich Mendelssohn, and others are thoughtfully delineated.