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In his writings relating to the Deutsche Werkbund, Hermann Muthesius makes an argument concerning the proper role of artists and designers in relation to industry. What are his main points? Are there ways in which Peter Behrens' design work for AEG might relate to his ideas?

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Final answer:

Hermann Muthesius advocated for the unification of art and industry with aesthetic value in mass-produced goods, which closely aligns with Peter Behrens’s work for AEG, particularly the AEG Turbine Factory, that demonstrated functional industrial design with aesthetic appeal.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hermann Muthesius, in his writings related to the Deutsche Werkbund, argued that the role of artists and designers in industry should be to find a balance between mass production and individual artistic spirit.

He believed that standardization in the industrial process was necessary, but it should also allow for the expression of artistic quality. His main points were that mass-produced objects should have aesthetic value, and the collaboration between art and industry was key to achieving this.

Peter Behrens, as a designer and architect, closely aligned with Muthesius's ideas through his work with the electrical company AEG. Behrens's design for the AEG Turbine Factory eschewed unnecessary decorative elements and embraced a functional yet aesthetically pleasing industrial classicism.

Additionally, Behrens's designs for everyday goods, such as clocks and tea kettles, reflected a similar blending of form, function, and industrial efficiency, further exemplifying Muthesius's vision of marrying art to industry.

Behrens's legacy continued through the Bauhaus movement, founded by Walter Gropius, which carried forward the ideals of uniting art with industrial production and making artistically designed products accessible to the middle class. The Bauhaus philosophy, just like Behrens's approach, embodied the essence of 'Art into Industry'.