As differentiated as art history is today, a major chapter has been largely neglected: the craft of the interior designer. And this, even though the delicate aesthetic sensibilities, the sense of color, and the eye for composition required to decorate private rooms have more direct influence on our lives than any work of art in any museum could lay claim to. This richly illustrated volume is dedicated to one of the pioneering German masters of this craft: Peter Gustaf Dorén. Here we encounter his work, with its surprising plasticity and liveliness. This is due not least to the versatility of Dorén’s works, whose aesthetics still set the (color)tone for the history of interior design today. Thanks to the fantastic photos and splendid color documentation Dorén himself produced, this opulent book of photos makes it possible to take a trip to the world of interior design around 1900, while also allowing a look at the history of the reader’s own four walls.

PETER GUSTAF DORÉN (1857–1942) shaped the look of interiors in Hamburg around 1900 like no other. With his interior décor workshop and a far-reaching network of artists from all disciplines, his work remains a style-defining milestone in the rich history of interior decoration.