Here are 67+ Arts and Crafts Movement Facts For You

In the year 1908, the Sears and Roebuck catalog brought the arts and crafts style to most homes in the United States of America.

William Morris was known as the founder of the arts and crafts movement, and it was initiated in the middle of the 19th century. William Morris is the most widely credited person when it comes to art and craft products.

The industry today has evolved so much. People would go head over heels by just taking a glance at different forms of art in old times.

Arts and crafts, in general, give a person peace of mind and happiness. There have been several innovations and amazing types of works by artists today.

Today, modern styles and art forms have a great influence on the younger generation, and it encourages them to access art and pursue it themselves. For those who love art, there are some great museums in Great Britain and some parts of Europe.

The arts and crafts movement in Britain started with the need to change existing art styles. This movement began in the middle of the 19th century.

This had become the greatest part of the history of Britain. The vision of people in the 19th century led to the manufacture of several art products, some of which can even be found today. Arts and crafts during that time were focused on being simple, elegant, and beautiful.

History Of The Arts And Crafts Movement

As we know how changes related to arts and crafts have impacted the modern-day industry, we might as well learn the history of the movement.

• The arts and crafts movement was a major event in the history of Great Britain.
• William Morris worked hard for the arts and crafts movement and was considered the main artist of the era.
• William Morris's works were remarkable, and he led to very important changes in the arts and crafts movement.
• If you're wondering what initiated the arts and crafts movement, then the answer is very simple.
• Everyone knows that necessity is the mother of invention. There was a huge demand for the reformation of design and decoration in 19th century Britain.
• This led to the beginning of the arts and crafts movement, and now, crafts' influence has contributed to the mass production of American arts and decorative arts.
• Students who would like to pursue arts are now guided by an art critic, and the whole thing has become more like an industrial revolution for artists.

What is the purpose of the arts and crafts movement?

The beginning of the arts and craft movement in every country had its own causes, but there was always an ultimate purpose.

• The purpose was to reform the existing styles and designs in Britain. This was a kind of evolution of arts.
• The arts and crafts movement emerged as disobedience against the factory-made fine arts.
• This was also ruled out to promote the artists who actually showcased their talent by crafting and doing the art by hand.
• Society, by the end of the 18th century, also felt the need to revolutionize the existing art forms.
• The purpose was also to give artists fame and recognition so that they would be appreciated for the amazing work they did.
• So, acknowledgment and the need to move to a newer version of art and craft was the main purpose, at least for the movements that arose in the 20th century and later on.
• These crafts movements have helped other artists to learn more about their traditional skills.
• It could be home arts, Newcomb pottery, contemporary crafts, decorative arts, or any other forms; all of it gained recognition.
• This movement brought simple but refined aesthetics to art history and the arts and crafts society.
• It also added to the arts and crafts principles and helped the crafts community learn more about arts and crafts philosophy and crafts ideals for better outcomes.
• Art schools encourage the great exhibition of democratic art, medieval art, and other arts and crafts ideas to help artists get into the creative process.
• Art workers graduating from American art schools learn everything about arts and crafts design, craftsman style, craft traditions, interiors, and so on.

Ideals Of The Arts And Craft Movement

Every movement has a set of principles it shares with the world. Now, here are the ideals of the arts and crafts movement.

• The ideals of the arts and the craft movement were mainly derived from the German Jugendstil workshops.
• The ideals were also from the Munich secession movement of the year 1892 and also the Berlin secession of the year 1898.
• Eventually, the Bauhaus design school opened, which strove to unite those who applied art to the principle of design.
• If you would like to know more about the types or genres of the art forms that were adopted, then we need to talk about the prominent folk art style. This folk style of decoration was the most popular among all ranges of audiences.
• Many artists also used medieval forms and romantic forms of art to impress their audience.
• The traditional methods of craftsmanship were portrayed in the movement, and it encouraged all these artists.
• The arts and crafts movement helped put social and economic reform in place.
• One of the ideals of the movement was that arts and crafts could be important to such an extent that they could be used on a daily basis.
• You can find that the arts and crafts of that time would be associated with the everyday needs of life.
• The ideal of the movement was the denial of artificial structures and decorations.
• The designers sought to create more natural looks and outfits for reaching naturally appropriate materials.
• The arts and crafts movement was just as much about the ideology as about the decorative art being produced.
• This aspect was grounded in the National Association for the Advancement of the Arts and its application to the industry in the year 1888-1891.
• The arts and crafts movement aimed to promote hand-craftsmanship and help artists assert creative independence in the middle ages.
• It is to be noted that industrialization was in full swing at the time in England, with factories producing a massive number of goods.

Amazing Facts About The Arts And Crafts Movement

Now that we know all the basic historical details let us learn more amazing facts.

• In 1890, the approval of the arts and crafts movement widened, and the movement also became less identifiable.
• There are many arts and crafts houses, which resemble medieval cottages, and they have been built with many features.
• Arts and crafts windows were designed to give the house a cottage feel.
• Stained glass was also very popular as it gave a medieval feel.
• In the arts and crafts movement, wallpaper was a big trend.
• Many items were made using vegetable dyes and woodblock.
• These popular styles and the incorporation of an upside-down heart were designed by William Morris.
• The arts and crafts movement favored quality over quantity.
• They were also handcrafted items. No machines were being used.

Did You Know...

Here are some more facts to take note of.

• The art as crafts movement was started in the year 1880.
• It was developed in the British isles, and from there it spread all across the British empire with the rest of America and Europe.
• The initiative flourished in North America and Europe.
• The modern style was the new root of British expression, and later it became known as the Art Nouveau movement. It has a strong influence even now.
• The movement made an appearance in Japan in the '20s, and it is known for the Mingei movement. It is a folk-style decoration or traditional craftsmanship.
• The arts and crafts movement was started by William Morris.
• The movement was an elegant and social vision that got bigger.
• Morris started his experiment with various designs and crafts of interiors and furniture.
• Morris was entailed in designing and manufacturing.
• Later, Morris had an idea that he would not do work in his workshop. Then, Morris learned to master certain techniques.
• In the year 1861, Morris started making furniture as well as decorative objects for commercial use.
• Many were based on medieval styles and used strong colors.
• The patterns on the products were based on flora and fauna.
• The arts and crafts movement failed its mission to return the traditional practices that came into production and led to the spread of industries.
• It lasted more than 10 years, from 1895-1905, and during this time, the purpose was to create or establish an organization with practice around Britain principles.
• There was an exhibition of arts and crafts in society, and 11 exhibitions were held between 1888-1916.
• In the year 1912, the exhibition failed due to financial issues and then it began to decline. During that time, the war flared up in 1914. This led to a total crisis in the movement.
• Speaking of inspiring personalities in the industry, we have Philip Webb, a British architect and designer.
• He is popularly known as the father of arts and crafts architecture.
• We all know that Philip Webb gave a unique perspective and a definition to the idea of artistry.
• While the movement we have discussed here was focused on the moral and social health of art workers, the topic still needs some attention.
• The idea of the health of craftsmen being associated with the architectural quality of a nation was discussed in the form of social criticism by John Ruskin.
• He strongly believed that independent workers should be required to design things perfectly, and factory-made workers would not be able to do justice to the job.
• It became a school of thought on how craftsmanship merged dignity and labor.
• It is to be noted that this is not the only movement to have taken place in the artistic industry.
• In Japan, the Mingei movement was initiated by Yanagi Soetsu, and he insisted on promoting folk art forms in 1920.
• This was influenced by the writings of Morris and Ruskin.
• Mingei wanted to preserve traditional crafts with all the modernization happening in the industry.
• These are a few personalities contributing to the success in preserving traditional arts and crafts as we see now.
• Art schools usually teach all these principles, perspectives, and philosophies. While there is much progress to be made in craftsmen gaining recognition for their work, the movement gave hope and power to the artistic community.