Arts & Crafts — The Era of Natural Beauty
The Arts & Crafts movement began in Britain in 1880, when the impact of the industrial revolution on it’s workers began to became a concern. It was born out of an increasing understanding that society needed to change their outlook and start focusing on developing products in a less dehumanising, more careful way.
The Crossover
There were two popular styles that began in the late 19th century — Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau. Both styles were heavily influenced by nature but interpreted it in different ways. Art Nouveau is characterised by its use of long, sinuous, organic lines where as Arts and Crafts pieces are often very simple in their design with straight and angular shapes. The Arts & Crafts movement lasted a decade longer than Art Nouveau and ended in the 1920’s although some pieces are still being made in the style of to this day.
Keeping it natural
As Arts & Crafts was heavily influenced by nature, each piece was made using as many natural materials and in as traditional a method as possible. Instead of using recent technology, the craftsmen looked back to the times were there were no machines, no mass produced materials and no technology — this improved the workplace which, in turn, improved the quality of furniture they produced. The level of detail fluctuated item to item with some sticking to simplicity and others being more intricate and detailed.
The developing movement
Towards the end of the 19th Century and at beginning of the 20th Century Arts & Crafts flourished in large cities throughout the UK with designs being seen in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and obviously London! As the popularity of the movement increased, the number of organisations and guilds that focused on Arts & Crafts principles in Britain also increased meaning more and more products could be designed and manufactured and the knowledge could be passed throughout the community.
Although the movement evolved in the city, most of the work was produced in rural parts of the country — the Cotswolds, the Lake District, Cornwall; these places offered beautiful landscapes which provided inspiration for the deisgns they produced, but also had railway networks which linked with the bigger cities allowing for ease of transport for materials and the finished product.
The 3 most influential designers in Arts & Crafts (in our opinion anyway)
William Morris
William Morris was the main influencer of the movement. His inspiration came from the Gothic revival and medieval style. All his designs are hugely detailed and feature repeating organic patterns which are usually inspired by natural forms. His two most popular designs to date are “Strawberry Thief” and “Willow Bough”, and are still being used in many interior settings today (the ‘Strawberry Thief’ also happens to be the design tattooed on Intique’s co-founder, James’s left forearm!)
Read the full story of William Morris here: https://medium.com/intique/designer-profile-william-morris-poet-socialist-pioneer-of-textiles-e76a8e7f06ac
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect and furniture designer whose work is recognised across the world — he was a pioneer of modernism, blending Scottish & Japanese influences with Art Nouveau to create his own unique aesthetic. Unlike Morris, his work was very clean and simple, he used straight lines in most of his designs a stark contrast to the flowing swirls of William Morris’ work. Two very different designers, yet both hugely influential in their own right.
Read the full article on Charles Rennie Macintosh here: https://medium.com/intique/charles-rennie-mackintosh-the-man-behind-the-moustache-e6f23ff0ceae
William de Morgan
William de Morgan was a talented potter, tile designer and novelist, though when he was alive, he was more notable for his novels than his tile designs or pottery. Due to his fascination with 15th & 16th century Iznik (Turkish) ware, his work often featured more exotic creatures not normally seen in Britain, including lizards or unusual birds — one of his snake designs also happens to be tattooed on the reverse of James’ (Intique’s co-founders), left forearm! His tiles are displayed in various galleries and museums and his work has become highly sought after.
Thank you taking the time to read this article. Next week, we will be following on from this piece and will be giving you an insight in how to achieve the natural Arts & Crafts look within your home!
I’m James Broad, a lover of all things vintage and Co-founder of Intique, a marketplace with personality selling vintage and antique furniture with character.
