The Arts and Crafts Movement Circa 1860-1900

The Arts and Crafts Movement was brought about by an artistic revolt against the industrialization of Great Britain around 1860. Probably the best known of all English artists in the movement was William Morris, who was famous for the books he made but also was a painter, writer, stained glass artist and textile and wallpaper designer. His actions were the spearhead of the movement to resist the mass produced items of the period and return to the basic design and craftsmanship that individual artists could produce. Morris' desire was to reconnect the creator to his product, a concept that was being ignored in the 19th century rush for goods.

In the United States and continental Europe, the period enjoyed varying degrees of favor, manifesting itself in architecture, furniture design, bookbinding, pottery, textiles and other crafts. By 1870, William Morris' company (Morris & Company) marketed their wallpaper designs throughout the United States, thus inspiring other artisans to create not only their own wallpapers, but also other items that corresponded with the same philosophy.

The Arts & Crafts Movement also helped shape American architecture, specifically the Queen Anne Revival and American Colonial styles of a previous era. A diverse expression of styles and forms, regional and traditional crafts, furniture and architecture took on a mix of styles. Trend-setting architects of the period began to select English and locally made Arts & Crafts products for their affluent American homeowners who demanded the most stylish and fashionable items for their living areas.

America's counterpart to England's William Morris was Gustav Stickley, whose furniture and architectural designs rapidly became the guide for the most discriminating clientele. In 1901 he created a magazine titled Craftsman that imparted strong influence in home and interior design for many years. With both Stickley and his fellow designer Frank Lloyd Wright, the designs of the furnishings were used not as an accent to the home, but were actually created by the architect in the same style. Thus they tied a home to its furnishings in a way not seen prior to this time.

The American Arts & Crafts Movement was strongly influenced by the clean and economic lines of Japanese goods. Elements of the movement included clean lines, smooth surfaces and intersecting lines and forms. Furniture was more "connected" to its surroundings, rather than simply acquired to coordinate with it. Pottery was made with smooth, flowing topical designs and muted tones that echoed the same philosophy. Art glass was created with a design that was an extension of the line and elevation of the home. (Frank Lloyd Wright was famous for his use of stained glass in both interior and exterior spaces.)

To quote William Morris: "Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."--words we could live by today.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 13 No. 9 -- July 2003