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Mackintosh Charles Rennie - Scottish architect, founder of the Art Nouveau style in Scotland: biography, major works

Charles Rennie Mackintosh - a man who made a huge contribution to the development of design, the creator of a unique architectural style and the most striking figure in the architecture of the 19th century.

The birth of a legend

The future ancestor of the Art Nouveau style was born in the family of a policeman in Glasgow on June 7, 1868. Remarkable is the fact that the future great architect was born in a city that is a cultural heritage of Scotland and, not being a capital, has a huge financial, business and cultural role. At the time of the birth of the child, no one could have imagined that in a few decades, he would become another famous person who would be proud of the city of Glasgow. The first prerequisites for this appear at the age of 5, when the child pays a lot of time painting, and, in particular, drawing flowers. Parents strongly supported the interest of Charles, and thanks to them he enters the art school, which specializes in his hobby.

Style of Glasgow

Throughout the learning period, Mackintosh tried to invent a new graphics language, unique, vivid and memorable. Thanks to this obsession, he constantly sketches the natural forms, patterns and all kinds of objects that come to his eyes. After a while he notes that his fellow practitioners have similar habits and hobbies, they join the group "Four", together with which the "style of Glasgow" will be developed, but the creative handwriting of each member of the group remains individual.

From this moment the development of joint works, various furniture, posters and other interior items begins. Charles Rennie Mackintosh enriches his creative world, adopts the style features of other members of the group, and in 1895 his first performance at the art exhibition as a poster artist will take place. However, he is also loyal to architectural creativity, unlike other members of the group who do not share his views.

First successes

In 1900, Mackintosh Charles marries Margaret McDonald. In this marriage, he will be until the end of life, for the sake of his beloved, he runs the risk of work and his connections. The union turned out to be quite prolific, because his wife has a specialty of a stained-glass window and a painter, and also has a wide range of interests. She becomes Charles's muse and together they create hundreds of interiors.

In the same year, Mackintosh Charles visited the exhibition in Turin, which creates the pavilion of Scotland. Each member of the group "Four" receives an invitation to decorate the room at an exhibition in Vienna, which is at the time the advanced center of the avant-garde. Exhibits on display are a huge success and quickly find their customers. The Prince of Russia Sergei Alexandrovich invites the Macintosh to Moscow. "Glasgow" is gaining momentum. Munich, Dresden, Budapest and many other cities recognize it as a style, it is actively used in their works by great architects. Charles takes part in the Moscow exhibition of architecture, which surprises the audience and raises enthusiastic reviews, full of emotions. The great architects of that time prophesied to him a beautiful creative future.

The flowering of creativity

Charles Mackintosh, whose biography is interesting to contemporaries, becomes the only member of the group "Four" who seriously deals with architecture and has orders in Glasgow. 1890 years - the flowering of the city in all plans. The city of Glasgow is becoming the commercial and business center of the country. This determines the development of a vibrant cultural life and the provision of opportunities for representatives of art. Mackintosh creates his first project - "Mayak", which is a special order of the local publishing house.

Glasgow School of Art

Career Mackintosh went up after the announcement of the competition for the project of the building of the Glasgow School of Art, the winner of which was exactly Mackintosh Charles. This work was simple and ordinary. Lack of money played a role in the construction, which was decided to split into two parts. The northern part was opened in 1899, and the western one in 1907. This time is the most productive for the architect, who tries himself also as a designer. After the construction is completed, the difference between the two parts of the building becomes evident, the later one is more progressive and "screaming". Mackintosh acquires the reputation of a talented artist.

Hill house

Success moves for Charles on his heels, and in 1902 he begins designing his own house Hill House (Hill House) McIntosh. The location of the house is perfectly chosen: orientation to the sides of the world, organic placement on the landscape. Full control over the project, achieved through close acquaintance with customers, allowed to conduct the most daring experiments. The patronage of Catherine Cranston, owner of a network of tea establishments throughout the city, allowed not to limit herself to finance. Mackintosh becomes the first to use stencils in decorating rooms. Hill House is the most creative and mathematically designed project of the architect. The style obtained in the end, was used before only in the house of the spouses of Mackintosh, where experiments were conducted with the placement, as well as the colors of "male" and "female" rooms.

According to the architect, the first floor should be used only by ladies, men's rooms and other rooms intended for guests are higher. Rooms de Luxe are made in a unique style, blending in with the overall concept of home design. Spacious windows, a frieze made of colored glass and painted on white walls, lead glass used for the production of double doors with silver ornaments, purple chairs and sofas with elegant high backs.

Author's rationalism

Charles's talent consisted in the ability to think through an architectural plan and a design concept, together with all the small details of the functioning of the object. It was thanks to the desire for maximum rationalism in his ideas that Mackintosh Charles was interested in modern technologies and materials that he actively used in his works. Due to this, he became an innovator who was not afraid to combine concrete with cobblestone, use a mirror and steel, but his greatest achievement was the use of plastic in his works.

Baron's style, inherent in the medieval castles of Scotland, firmly sat in the head of Mackintosh and it was on him that he was guided in the design of his work. The architecture of Italy and Greece, used in Scotland in his time, did not like the author, because, in his opinion, it was unfit for the local climate. Functionalism successfully combined with the romantic images of buildings, thanks to which, they became so beloved by the architect.

The end of the great master's work

1914 is the year of depression due to the break-up of partnership with Honeyman. A difficult period begins, giving rise to many rumors about the architect. Someone says that he drinks, someone - that he can not find new clients because of his character. Charles did not communicate with anyone during this period and was thinking of moving to Vienna, because the possibilities of his homeland were exhausted, and his authority in Austria was significantly greater than in Glasgow. Plans are crumbling along with the outbreak of World War II. Mackintosh moves to Suffolk, where he creates a series of watercolor works. Because of his work, he is arrested on suspicion of espionage. After some time he manages to defend his innocence, and he is forced to move to London.

The search for work was unsuccessful because of the excessive ambitions of Charles Mackintosh, who was looking for a job that suited the status. The architectural world of London recognizes the "school of Glasgow" as an obsolete style and draws attention to the classics. Charles Rennie Mackintosh is engaged in design, furniture development, fulfills various orders for the development of sketches of fabrics. But then it could not continue, and it was clear that you need to do things that can bring more income and pleasure. Charles creates a series of chairs, develops projects for clocks, lamps, fireplaces and tables. His things are ahead of time, they are like lines resembling a whip's blow, geometric and functional, like the most daring modern solutions. The line of his products is successful, but he still does not have the opportunity to build, so he is creating a series of paintings.

Author's furniture by Charles Mackintosh

The chair model, known to this day, stirs the minds of many people who bought a Macintosh chair. A very high back, straight legs and trapezoidal seats give the impression of something old and extremely stylish. Despite this, the chair is extremely simple: a joinery with a rectilinear design. Subtlety and elaboration of the smallest details are the guarantee of the refinement of the final product. The game with color, material and natural qualities of wood has left an indelible mark on history. To this day, these pieces of furniture are popular.

The last years of the life of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Disappointments of the architect are becoming more and more, the 20th year gives development to the architecture of Germany, while the style of Macintosh is outliving itself, the major works of the master no longer interest the public. Charles moves to the south of France, where he will spend the last years of his life before he died in London in 1928.

Disappointment of the architect Charles Mackintosh was great, and during his lifetime he did not receive such a large response, which he deserved. Many of his works are relevant today, some are used, others are the cultural treasures of the country. Furniture made according to his designs has high sales rates, and his design methods are actively used in the modern world. As often happens, fame and confession found their owner only after his death. Today - this is one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of architecture.

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