Blog One - Arts and Crafts

 Victorian Period

The Victorian Period lasted from around 1837 to 1901. The Victorian Period consists of any decorative or architectural piece used during the reign of Queen Victoria of England. During this period, there were great advances in communication and media as well as manufacturing and materials. Materials like iron, steel, and milled lumber all affected interior design. New advancements such as plumbing, heating, and electric also greatly impacted interior design. 

          Victorian Interior Space                           Current Victorian Interior Space  

Victorian furniture often had elaborate decoration. They included a wide variety of stylistic references and often combined them. There were positive and negative aspects of this period. This period was beneficial because it allowed decorative arts for everyone and not just the elite. Because of the advancement in communication and media, knowledge of the arts was spread across the world. This period was negative because many decorative pieces such as furniture were manufactured very poorly. It was also negative because many of the designs were cluttered and had little to no logical thought. Since many of the decorative pieces were from different design periods many rooms ended up looking random and messy.

Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement began in England but also became popular in the U.S. It was founded by William Morris. William Morris studied Classics at Oxford University and later completed an architectural apprenticeship under Phillip Webb. He was fascinated with medieval architecture. He also studied painting and made 18 pieces himself. The Industrial Revolution also greatly impacted the Arts and Crafts Period. The Industrial Revolution created an ugly environment. It also negatively impacted society by causing poor working conditions, false/dishonest materials, shallowness of wealth, and poorly made furniture. The Arts and Crafts Period had 8 main characteristics. Decorative items were completely hand-made and based on medieval designs. They were predominately made of oak wood and were very heavy. They also had exposed hinges and visible wood joints. The furniture was based on Shaker furniture and had very simple honest designs.

    Arts and Crafts Interior Space                Current Arts and Crafts Interior Space

The Morris Chair

The Morris Chair was designed by Phillip Webb who worked for William Morris. The Morris Chair was the symbol of the Arts and Crafts Movement. It was a very honest design and was named after Morris. It had features such as being adjustable and being able to recline. It was made of plain leather or velvet.

               

                      The Morris Chair                                         Modern Morris Chair

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Later in the Arts and Crafts Period, there was a Scottish architect and designer named Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Charles was greatly influenced by Japanese design. He loved the calm, organic, and natural feel of their designs. His designs mainly consisted of simple constructional elements and geometric forms. He also often used very unusual furniture and exaggerated proportions such as high-back chairs. He also had violet, silver, and gold painted ornamentation usually added by his wife. One of his most well-known buildings is the Glasglow School of Art.

Glasgow School of Art

One Step Further:

Edward Coley Burne-Jones was born in 1833 and died in 1898. He worked very closely with William Morris on many decorative arts. He was a British artist and designer and probably the most famous artist of that era. One of Edward’s most famous works of art is entitled The Golden Stairs. The painting is not based on any literary source and doesn’t have a narrative, but instead sets a mood. It is from the Aesthetic style which was during the 1860s and 1870s. It displays many young women with instruments, descending a staircase. All colors on the painting gradually become more shiny like gold and silver. Edward was very well known for his beautiful paintings throughout his life.