West 86th

Published on behalf of the Bard Graduate Center, "West 86th" focuses on scholarship in material culture, design history, and the decorative arts. In this issue, Eric Anderson examines how Angerer's photographs of Hans Makart's studio were informed by contemporary theories of color and emotion, anticipating many of the themes that would engage the modernists at the turn of the century. Monica Smith provides an archaeological perspective of the molded terra-cotta jewelry produced in the ancient Indian city of Sisupalgarh some five millennia ago, which indicate some patterns of economic activity and taste that anticipate the modern world. Anna McSweeney examines Owen Jones's Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Alhambra (1842-1845), well known as the primary source for Islamic decoration in the Victorian period. Lastly, is a translation of the main part of "Les arts decoratifs et les machines", an article by Pedro Rioux de Maillou that appeared in the Revue des arts decoratifs in 1894-1895. As in all issues, there is a range of reviews of current books and exhibitions devoted to design and the decorative arts.