JEKYLL 1 | The Arts and Crafts Movement
The Arts and Crafts movement emerged in Britain in the late 1800s in reaction to the low status of the decorative arts and the damaging effects of mass production on the quality of manufactured products. Proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement wanted to move away from the machine manufactured goods beloved by the Victorians to handcrafted, human creations. The Movement is regarded for its use for high quality materials and its emphasis on utility in design. Click on the titles below to discover more about the Arts and Crafts movement.
Here are some of the key forces which gave rise to the Movement:
- Classical and Italian architecture should be eschewed in favour of the Gothic style
- Industrialisation and mass production by machine should be rejected
- Need for a socialist society in which quality of life is good for all
- Art should be made for the people, by the people
- The medieval age – the golden age of creativity – should be the reference point
- Art should no longer be superior to crafts and craftsmen must be viewed as equals to artists
- Traditional crafts and craftsmanship should be revived
- Integrity of material and construction should be at the heart of all design
Let’s look at the rise of the Arts and Crafts movement in more detail.
JEKYLL 1 | The Arts and Crafts Movement
The Arts and Crafts movement emerged in Britain in the late 1800s in reaction to the low status of the decorative arts and the damaging effects of mass production on the quality of manufactured products. Proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement wanted to move away from the machine manufactured goods beloved by the Victorians to handcrafted, human creations. The Movement is regarded for its use for high quality materials and its emphasis on utility in design. Click on the titles below to discover more about the Arts and Crafts movement.
Here are some of the key forces which gave rise to the Movement:
- Classical and Italian architecture should be eschewed in favour of the Gothic style
- Industrialisation and mass production by machine should be rejected
- Need for a socialist society in which quality of life is good for all
- Art should be made for the people, by the people
- The medieval age – the golden age of creativity – should be the reference point
- Art should no longer be superior to crafts and craftsmen must be viewed as equals to artists
- Traditional crafts and craftsmanship should be revived
- Integrity of material and construction should be at the heart of all design
Let’s look at the rise of the Arts and Crafts movement in more detail.
The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
Founded in London in 1887, the Society gave the Arts and Crafts movement its name. Based on a set of ideals rather than a prescriptive style such as Art Nouveau or Art Deco, the Society championed the work of decorative artists, holding its first annual exhibition in 1888 to showcase ceramic, furniture, metalwork and textile works to help raise the status of the decorative arts across society.
William Morris (1834-96)
William Morris became a hugely influential figure of the Arts and Crafts movement, believing passionately in the need to create objects that were equal part beautiful, well-made and usable in daily life. Morris is known primarily for his wallpaper and textile designs, many of which are today still sold under the trade name Morris & Company, an association of craftsmen set up by Morris in 1861.
John Ruskin (1819-1900)
John Ruskin was the Victorian era’s leading art and social critic whose work inspired many of the pioneering craftsmen of the Arts and Crafts movement. His work indicated a link between a country’s social health and the way it manufactured its goods, arguing that separating designers from the manufacture of their designs was destructive to both society and the aesthetics of their products.
Multidisciplinary
Curiously, a large proportion of leading Arts and Crafts artisans actually trained in architecture. This helped foster their collective belief in the need to design items which would blend with their other designs to create a harmonious interior or environment. As a result, most Arts and Crafts designers worked across a diversity of different artistic disciplines. For example, William Morris designed furniture, carpets, fabrics, stained glass, wallpaper and more.
Creative Cities
The Movement flourished in large cities across Britain, with over a hundred Arts and Crafts organisations and guilds set up. New art schools and technical colleges in London, Birmingham and Glasgow helped to revive traditional crafts like calligraphy, embroidery and enamelling. Many designers developed new manufacturing relationships to enable them to sell their goods in shops such as Liberty and Heal’s and to share the ideals of the Movement.
Country Crafts
While it began in the city, at its heart the Movement had a yearning for countryside crafts and traditions. Many artists left cities to set up workshops in idyllic locations like Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Lake District where there was an existing culture of craft skills set within picturesque scenery. The new workshops revived local crafts, created job opportunities and, for the first time, allowed women to become successful designers.
Crossing the Pond
The spread of the Arts and Crafts movement to the United States in the 1890s enabled it to survive much longer on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1897, the first American Arts and Crafts Exhibition was held in Boston, showcasing over 1,000 objects by 160 craftsmen and women. The Boston Society of Arts and Crafts was soon founded, followed by others in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
William Robinson (1835-1895)
William Robinson was an influential Irish gardener and writer known for his book ‘The English Flower Garden.’ Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and a friend of Gertrude Jekyll, he deplored the effects of the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian disregard for all things natural. Robinson developed his own wild, natural garden style which he promoted in his magazines ‘The Garden’ and ‘Gardening,’ the latter of which is still in publication today as ‘Gardening Illustrated’.
The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
Founded in London in 1887, the Society gave the Arts and Crafts movement its name. Based on a set of ideals rather than a prescriptive style such as Art Nouveau or Art Deco, the Society championed the work of decorative artists, holding its first annual exhibition in 1888 to showcase ceramic, furniture, metalwork and textile works to help raise the status of the decorative arts across society.
William Morris (1834-96)
William Morris became a hugely influential figure of the Arts and Crafts movement, believing passionately in the need to create objects that were equal part beautiful, well-made and usable in daily life. Morris is known primarily for his wallpaper and textile designs, many of which are today still sold under the trade name Morris & Company, an association of craftsmen set up by Morris in 1861.
John Ruskin (1819-1900)
John Ruskin was the Victorian era’s leading art and social critic whose work inspired many of the pioneering craftsmen of the Arts and Crafts movement. His work indicated a link between a country’s social health and the way it manufactured its goods, arguing that separating designers from the manufacture of their designs was destructive to both society and the aesthetics of their products.
Multidisciplinary
Curiously, a large proportion of leading Arts and Crafts artisans actually trained in architecture. This helped foster their collective belief in the need to design items which would blend with their other designs to create a harmonious interior or environment. As a result, most Arts and Crafts designers worked across a diversity of different artistic disciplines. For example, William Morris designed furniture, carpets, fabrics, stained glass, wallpaper and more.
Creative Cities
The Movement flourished in large cities across Britain, with over a hundred Arts and Crafts organisations and guilds set up. New art schools and technical colleges in London, Birmingham and Glasgow helped to revive traditional crafts like calligraphy, embroidery and enamelling. Many designers developed new manufacturing relationships to enable them to sell their goods in shops such as Liberty and Heal’s and to share the ideals of the Movement.
Country Crafts
While it began in the city, at its heart the Movement had a yearning for countryside crafts and traditions. Many artists left cities to set up workshops in idyllic locations like Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Lake District where there was an existing culture of craft skills set within picturesque scenery. The new workshops revived local crafts, created job opportunities and, for the first time, allowed women to become successful designers.
Crossing the Pond
The spread of the Arts and Crafts movement to the United States in the 1890s enabled it to survive much longer on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1897, the first American Arts and Crafts Exhibition was held in Boston, showcasing over 1,000 objects by 160 craftsmen and women. The Boston Society of Arts and Crafts was soon founded, followed by others in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Minneapolis
William Robinson (1835-1895)
William Robinson was an influential Irish gardener and writer known for his book ‘The English Flower Garden.’ Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and a friend of Gertrude Jekyll, he deplored the effects of the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian disregard for all things natural. Robinson developed his own wild, natural garden style which he promoted in his magazines ‘The Garden’ and ‘Gardening,’ the latter of which is still in publication today as ‘Gardening Illustrated’.