Chapter 10: The Arts and Crafts Movement and Its Heritage

The Arts and Crafts Movement was a time of the beginning of book design renaissance. Books were seen as limited-edition art objects and they ended up influencing commercial production. Many societies searched for/started democratic artistic communities. This movement began in England during the late 1800s in reaction to social, moral, and artistic confusion of the Industrial Revolution. William Morris was the leader of the movement as he desired truth, purpose and the nature of materials/production to be found. He also longed for workers and designers to both incorporate their expressions through the art they created. John Ruskin was a writer and an artist, like Morris. The reason why he was inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement was for the reason of designs lacking aesthetic concern during the Victorian Era. There was a separation between society and art. Beauty was valuable in his eyes; it was not meant to be mass-produced and seen as cheap. Because of the Industrial Revolution, workers lived harsh lives. Ruskin felt sympathy for them and desired better housing, elderly retirement and an education system. William Morris grew up in England and was influenced by the mansions and beautiful ancient churches and countryside he saw around him. Morris was a writer as he enjoyed poetry, fiction and philosophy. Later on, he became a painter before marrying a beautiful model and moving into Red House. Red House was designed for them; it was L-shaped and Morris designed the interior because he loathed the Victorian designs. In 1861, Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Company was established; they designed furniture, cabinets, wallpaper, and carpets, among many other products. Morris was inspired by medieval and botanical art, which he carried out within his designs. Arts and crafts sounded like a good idea because it was a way for workers to incorporate their artistic abilities and care into the objects they made. The thought of manufactured goods sounded tacky and yucky. Morris became a part of many societies as he also showed sympathy for people as Ruskin had. He wanted to help preserve ancient buildings in order to hold onto the heritage of the architecture, and he wanted to put a stop to false, misleading advertisements.

The most interesting thing I learned from this chapter was what the Arts and Crafts Movement was and why it came about. When I first heard of the movement, I had no idea what it stood for. After learning that it was brought forth because of the lack of artistic aesthetics in products and the separation between art and society, I understood the movement and why it was important. People found art to be an important aspect in life; it was not meant to be abused, and beautiful objects should have been seen as valuable simply because they were beautiful. I believe that art is a way of expression and that it should be treated special. I do not believe that Victorian art was tacky, though. This topic seems controversial and interesting. I want to learn more about it.

Why was the Red House created as an L-shape?
What made Morris choose painting over other areas of art?