Alois Riegl (1858-1905) was one of the founding fathers of modern formalist criticism. As a member of the Vienna School of Art Historians, he shared their range of interests in the decorative arts, art in transition, conservation and monuments. In addition to offering the first structuralist account of the history of art Riegl also created a formalist approach to the history of ornament, one unmatched until Gombrichs publication of The Sense of Order . This collection of critical essays examines various facets of Riegls work and opens with a new translation of Hans Sedlmayrs famous, and notorious, Die Quintessenze der Lehren Riegls . Included is Julius von Schlossers assessment of Riegl"s contribution to the Vienna School of Art Historians as well as essays by a team of international scholars. This book offers a re-engagement with the ideas of one of the most important and neglected art historians of the 20th century. Richard Woodfield is Research Professor in the Faculty of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University in England.