On the 150th anniversary of his birth, the great Scottish proto-modernist architect still has a lot to teach us.

Mr Charles Rennie Mackintosh was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century design. Born on 7 June 1868 in Glasgow, Scotland, he is considered to be one of the forerunners of both the modernist movement and Art Deco. A passionate and uncompromising man, he spent his life in pursuit of perfection, mastering the decorative arts of painting, architecture and interior and furniture design. Although his output was under-appreciated in his lifetime, Mr Mackintosh is now rightly revered for his unique style and holistic vision. Here, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth with five key life lessons we can all learn from.

Mr Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a pioneer of modern architecture at a time when most buildings still mimicked classical styles. His breakthrough project – a new building for the Glasgow School of Art, designed in 1896 – displays an austere and defiantly modern aesthetic, shorn of all ornamentation and incorporating references to Scottish vernacular architecture and Japanese arts. In this early part of his career, his strong sense of individualism helped him to stand out among his peers, yet it meant his work was also divisive and often misunderstood. Regardless, Mr Mackintosh carried on evolving his own style, prompting leading German architect and critic Mr Hermann Muthesius to describe him as a “truly original artist”.

Mr Mackintosh’s uncompromising approach to his craft was manifested in an insistence on maintaining complete control of his projects. This is particularly evident in the interiors of the tea rooms he designed for Ms Catherine Cranston in Glasgow, who was his most faithful and accommodating patron. The ultimate expression of this holistic approach is the Willow Tearooms, where Mr Mackintosh worked alongside his artist wife, Ms Margaret Macdonald, on the design of everything from the furniture and lighting to the cutlery and servers’ uniforms. The result is a Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art”, where every detail contributes to a consistent feeling of understated luxury.

Mr Mackintosh’s relationship with his wife was a happy and creatively productive one. Mr Mackintosh admitted that he owed much of his success to Ms Macdonald, who was a highly regarded artist in her own right. The couple shared a strikingly modern decorative vision that led them to collaborate on several key projects, including their first marital home at 120 Mains Street, Hill House and the tea rooms for Ms Kate Cranston. Ms Macdonald is attributed with influencing Mr Mackintosh’s use of romantic symbolism, which was integrated seamlessly into the very fabric of his architecture. Her decorative gesso panels featuring mystical themes and natural forms take pride of place in many of his interiors.

Mr Mackintosh looked beyond his homeland for inspiration, and was particularly influenced by the elegance and purity of Japanese design. Its focus on the inherent beauty of materials and craftsmanship rather than the application of ornament was a key influence on his architecture and furniture. Mr Mackintosh also enjoyed travelling to mainland Europe to present his work, and was regarded much more highly there than in Britain. He participated in international exhibitions in Turin, Moscow, Berlin and Dresden, as well as contributing to the eight Secessionist exhibition in Vienna – faithful reconstructions of his work for this are currently in production by Cassina, as shown above. His projects were widely published on the continent, and influenced some of the key figures of the modernist movement, including Mr Josef Hoffmann.

Despite being revered by successive generations of architects for his built work, Mr Mackintosh is perhaps still more widely associated with a particular decorative style. The abstract organic motifs he developed for use in his interiors, in particular the Mackintosh Rose, can be found on photo frames, jewellery and dish towels in gift shops across Scotland and beyond. Disparagingly known as “Mockintosh” and “Mackintat”, these typically ill-proportioned and poorly made products are not a fitting tribute to the great man’s achievements. To gain a true sense of his genius, it is necessary to visit one of his buildings and experience how a multitude of details and ideas combine to create a holistic vision that still feels relevant today.