Victor Horta’s staircase ‘12, rue de Turin’. Genesis, canonization and readings of an iconic architectural interior view

The photographic view on the staircase of House Tassel by Victor Horta has become an iconic image of Victor Horta’s work and of European Art Nouveau in general. This contribution will investigate the genesis of this image, its canonization in the historiography of Art Nouveau and of modern architect...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Van-de-Vijver, D. (Dirk)|||/items/51882704-cdc3-428c-9857-553b27161650
Format: article
Publication Date:2016
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Navarra
Repository:Dadun. Depósito Académico Digital de la Universidad de Navarra
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:dadun.unav.edu:10171/42486
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10171/42486
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Materias Investigacion::Arquitectura
Victor Horta
Interior
Art Nouveau
Historiography
Description
Summary:The photographic view on the staircase of House Tassel by Victor Horta has become an iconic image of Victor Horta’s work and of European Art Nouveau in general. This contribution will investigate the genesis of this image, its canonization in the historiography of Art Nouveau and of modern architecture, and its multiple readings. In order to do so, I will dive into the context of the early reception of Horta’s work in the illustrated journals and architectural albums during the decade 1895-1905, firstly. Subsequently, I will explore its place in the major writings that established the canon of 20th-century modern architecture and address its multiple interpretations as explicated in the text and image discourses of these publications.