The arts and craft movement were in the years 1850 – 1900. This movement was developed in reaction to poor taste and quality of mass-produced goods which were badly designed and decorated with ornate detail, inhuman working conditions in factory environments and the disregard for skilled individual craftsperson. 

 

Influences for the arts and craft movement were medieval gothic style, rustic English cottage (constructed with natural materials in simple style) and nature (natural plant, bird and animal forms used in textiles and wallpaper). General characteristics of the arts and craft movement were skilled craft persons crested individual designs from conception to completion. Little ornamentation- decoration were only used to add the basic design. Subject matter was nature the inspiration were medieval motifs and religious narrative images. The crafts men and women connected with the movement were active within a wide cross selection of crafts such as architecture, potters, Jewelers, painters, sculptors, cabinet makers. The design style emphasized the unity between form, function and decoration. The use of colour in flat areas of bold, striking colours in different shapes. Earth tones were used in ceramic and wallpaper designs. Wood was commonly kept in its natural state. The use of line in furniture designs made use of clean and uncluttered lines. Graphics made us of gentle, curving floral patterns and wavy lines. Arts and craft movement was where the return of printed and homemade bound books returned. 

 

The artifacts for the arts and craft movement I will be comparing, a textile, the strawberry thief by William Morris and the red house by Philip Webb. 

The strawberry thief by William Morris is a printed textile, the fabric is meant to be used as curtains or hung along the wall as a mural, which was done so in medieval style. His textile is complex, busy and eye-catching, with little depth between the foreground and background however among the busyness of the fabric the birds remain the focal point, their lightness makes their colour stand out against the dark background, they also create an element of mischievousness as they play among the berries. This fabric was worked hard on as the practical craftsmanship, learning the theory of fabric dying and block printing took time in order to create the fabric print. The design soon became popular and was sold in stores.

 The red house was built in 1860, it is characterized using simple line, gothic elements such as pointed arches, red brick and the unique integration of tiles. The elegant beauty of the house can be attributed to the plain brick walls, slender windows and the focus on function rather than aesthesis. Exposed joints and beams show through to tell the story of the house rather than superficial decoration. It was departure from the then popular eclectic style of the Victorian age.  

Bibliography 

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