“Architects, sculptors, painters, we all must return to the crafts!” declared architect Walter Gropius in his Bauhaus manifesto. Founded in 1919 as an art school in Weimar, the Bauhaus established itself as a major influence on twentieth- century art and design. Bauhaus students were taught by some of the most celebrated artists of the time, including Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger, and Wassily Kandinsky. Having moved to Berlin in 1932 under architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, it was forced to close for good by the Gestapo in 1933.

Uncovering the sources of inspiration that brought the Bauhaus into existence, from medieval cathedrals of Europe and Hokusai prints to William Morris and Arts and Crafts, The Spirit of the Bauhaus explores workshops and courses in detail, illustrating the extraordinary wealth of experimentation in every medium: ceramics, wood and metalwork, textiles, glass- painting, sculpture, mural, printing and binding, theater, architecture, and photography.

This essential and accessible guide to the Bauhaus, published in time for the 100th anniversary of the school in 2019, celebrates a school that continues to be recognized as the most durable and influential source of modern ideas about art, design, and craft.