Peter Rath, senior partner of the Vienna glass manufactory J. & L. LOBMEYR, which has been family-owned and operated for almost 200 years, has closed a gap in the European history of glass with the presentation of the up-to-now unpublished archive of Josef Holey (1899–1986), which he has edited and supplemented.
As a master craftsman, he has created an unusual reference work focusing on the hardly known chandelier culture in the former Habsburg regions, from early times to the present.
It is the goal of Peter Rath to re-evaluate the crystal and glass chandelier as the most precious object of art of prestigious interiors in the context of the European history of glass and to advance research. The publication also strives to establish a modern definition of cultivated lighting with planned shadow regions in the room by presenting such concepts.
FURNITURE IN THE AIR, with its many rare historical photos and comparative illustrations, is already an indispensable reference work for manufacturers of chandeliers, scholars of art, curators of monuments, architects, antique dealers, museums, and schools. It provides the foundation for in-depth research into chandeliers in Central Europe in art scholarship. The chandelier as furniture in the air originates as a total work of art in discursive cooperation between artist-designers, architects, and chandelier makers in accordance with the wishes of clients. It brings the style of its time into the room.
Book Presentation
Welcome and introduction:
Rainald Franz, Curator, MAK Glass and Ceramics Collection
Rainald Franz, Curator, MAK Glass and Ceramics Collection
Lecture on the theme and the book:
Peter Rath
Peter Rath
FURNITURE IN THE AIR: The Crystal Chandelier in Europe
Peter Rath, Josef Holey, foreword by Alexandra Ruggiero, curator for modern glass at the Corning Museum of Glass (USA), 400 pages, 2019, 804 illustrations, 47 sketches, maps, and lists, ISBN: 978-3-99028-891-7, English edition, Verlag Bibliothek der Provinz. Available at the MAK Design Shop for € 65
PLEASE NOTE
Mouth-nose protection (mnp) must be worn at all times when visiting the museum. This therefore also applies for the duration of the book presentation.
The book presentation will take place in the MAK Lecture Hall.
Free admission to the event with your MAK-Ticket
The book presentation will take place in the MAK Lecture Hall.
Free admission to the event with your MAK-Ticket
Tuesdays 6–9 p.m. admission only € 6
