Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

A Scottish born designer and architect, C.R Mackintosh is a designer who greatly contributed to design in early 1900's. Started as an apprentice with John Hutchinson but later in 1889 he moved forward and joined a more established firm of Honey and Keppie. During his apprenticeship he joined the Glasgow School of Art to go further in his drawing studies.

Mackintosh Drwings

During his student moments he won several student competitions and award with the most prestigious one was Alexander Thomson Traveling Studentship in the 1890 which gave him the opportunity to go on an architectural tour in Italy to observe different national architecture. When developing his talent in the Glasgow he started to become more aware of his contemporary ideas.


Hist first major project was the design of anew building for the Glasgow School of  of Art which started in 1896. This Project was one of the most significant projects for Mackintosh in architectural design.

He is considered as a designer who stated during Art Nouveau which later moved forwards to Modernism.  the majority of his work both from design and architecture consist of simple geometrical style which was a contemporary approach to design in those year which contrast the highly decorated designs which were brought out during the Art Nouveau. Work such as the famous the ladder back chair was inspired by the simplicity and efficiency of oriental design such as Japanese.

His products were manufactured in small numbered for commissions not as mass produced products. His idea was like the idea of William Morris which focuses on the originality of the design and the final product and the importance of craftsmanship which produced a highly finished products. During the the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century it was the peak of mass production which was developed during the industrial revolution but Mackintosh still produced his products in small quantities which were made by hand.

Some characteristics of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's work was the similarities of William Morris which were the use of natural forms in his work apart from the idea of manufacturing whom Morris and Mackintosh both shared the same ideas. In my opinion some of his work reassembles some work which was produced in Art Deco architecture. Characteristics such as long vertical lines which feature in both product and architectural works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh which have visible contrast with the later work which was produced in International style which have the opposite characteristics, which by the used of long horizontal lines contrasts with the characteristics of Mackintosh and Art Deco.

Reference :

Chair Argyle Charles R. Mackintosh, Reproduction famous Bauhaus-furniture Le Corbusier - Classic Design (Europe) Ltd.. 2014. Chair Argyle Charles R. Mackintosh, Reproduction famous Bauhaus-furniture Le Corbusier - Classic Design (Europe) Ltd.. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.classic-design24.com/uk/chairs/chair-argyle-by-charles-renie-mackintosh.html. [Accessed 02 January 2014].

AN INTRODUCTION TO CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH. 2014. AN INTRODUCTION TO CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.technologystudent.com/joints/rennie1.html. [Accessed 02 January 2014].

Charles Rennie Mackintosh. 2014. Charles Rennie Mackintosh. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.crmsociety.com/crmackintosh.aspx. [Accessed 02 January 2014].

Charles R. Mackintosh - Designer furniture by smow.com. 2014. Charles R. Mackintosh - Designer furniture by smow.com. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.smow.com/designers/mackintosh/. [Accessed 02 January 2014].

Charles Mackintosh biography. 2014. Charles Mackintosh biography. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.artrepublic.com/biographies/88-charles-mackintosh.html. [Accessed 02 January 2014].