Teacher's introduction:
Thinkers (intellectuals) and creative people in the 19th
century thought about their own situation, about the world, about what was
right and wrong. They shared their ideas and feelings through books, essays,
newspaper articles, pamphlets, plays, gave speeches, lectures and sermons, painted,
sculpted, designed buildings and everyday objects, etc. They wanted to change
the world for the better and many were social reformists and political
activists. They entertained people but also made them think about and react to
the political, social and economic situation of the times. Intellectuals gave
people the words and ideas to change revolts into revolutions, to fight against
the injustices of the system, the exploitation of the masses at the hands of an
elite and of a privileged bourgeoisie. They wanted the world to be a fairer,
happier and more beautiful place for all. Committed intellectuals imagined what
they thought could be a better world; they gave people hope for greater social
justice. They took part in various artistic movements (Romanticism, Realism, Pre-Raphaelite, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Modernism, etc.) and political, social, reform and religious mouvements (Marxism, Anarchism, Liberalism, Feminism, Evangelicalism, etc.).
The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that began in Britain and flourished in Europe and America between about 1880 and 1920 ("Arts" means "les arts" and "crafts" means "métiers d'art" or "artisanat"). It was a return to handcrafted, artisan-made goods, including wood furniture, tapestries, wallpaper, pottery and stained glass. Like Art Nouveau at the end of the century, the Arts and Crafts style was heavily influenced by nature, but the motifs were more rectilinear. Wood was used extensively and almost always left with a natural finish. Decorative details were handmade, from tiles and vases to stained glass. It was a response to the increasingly poor quality of mass-produced, standardized, factory-made furniture, and to the fact that this furniture was also unoriginal (it was mostly poor imitation of styles from previous periods).
The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that began in Britain and flourished in Europe and America between about 1880 and 1920 ("Arts" means "les arts" and "crafts" means "métiers d'art" or "artisanat"). It was a return to handcrafted, artisan-made goods, including wood furniture, tapestries, wallpaper, pottery and stained glass. Like Art Nouveau at the end of the century, the Arts and Crafts style was heavily influenced by nature, but the motifs were more rectilinear. Wood was used extensively and almost always left with a natural finish. Decorative details were handmade, from tiles and vases to stained glass. It was a response to the increasingly poor quality of mass-produced, standardized, factory-made furniture, and to the fact that this furniture was also unoriginal (it was mostly poor imitation of styles from previous periods).
John Ruskin, an influential thinker, writer,
poet, artist and art critic, whose writings influenced the artists of the Arts
and Crafts, condemned the social impact of industrialization: workers
lived and worked in poor conditions. Arts and Crafts was as much a political as
an artistic movement, condemning the excesses of the industrial revolutions.
Click HERE to listen to a BBC Radio programme on John Ruskin's Eurythmic Girls.
Click HERE to listen to a BBC Radio programme on John Ruskin's Eurythmic Girls.
William Morris, designer, artist, craftsman, writer,
poet, visionary and social reformer, lead the movement. He wanted architecture,
crafts and artistic works to be well-designed, beautiful and original and
produced by skilled craftsmen in decent working conditions, for everyone (not
just a wealthy elite).
Write the title, learn by heart the introductory
paragraph and translate it, read the FACTFILE, then read DOCUMENT 1.
Teacher's comments:
Morris' philosophy:
- Wealth should be fairly distributed (he was a Socialist, founding member of the Socialist League).
- Art should be popular (i.e. for everybody) not just an elite.
- Machines should relieve men of labour, not make workers work harder and faster to make more so as to increase the profits of the factory owners.
- Work should not be only a means to earn one's living but should be a creative, self-fulfilling part of one's existence.
- Only Socialism could make work a positive activity for humanity (it should not be for making profits).
Study DOCUMENTS 2, 3, 4 and 5
Teacher's comments:
Document 2 shows the expensive but unoriginal furniture
on offer at Harrod's (an upmarket store in Knightsbridge, London) in the mid-19th
century.
In contrast to the sideboards in document 2, documents
3 and 4 show examples of the famous and very original designs in architecture,
furniture, fabric, utensils and interior decoration by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
He used geometric and natural motifs, subtle colours and fluid lines. The
tea-rooms (document 3) are ostensibly accessible to ordinary people which means
that they could take pleasure in admiring the understated luxury of the décor;
this is in the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement (beautiful things for
all). In reality, the Salon de Luxe was (and is still) for wealthier patrons.
Click HERE to read an article (07/06/2018) from The Guardian on Charles Rennie Mackintosh!
Click HERE to read an article (07/06/2018) from The Guardian on Charles Rennie Mackintosh!
Document 5 shows that the Arts and Crafts ideas
spread to Europe. Peter Behrens was influenced by Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts. He
created the AEG logo (cf. the facade of the building) and the factory itself.
The very geometric building is big, made of glass, steel and concrete. The huge
windows let in a lot of light. The design gives importance ("nobility"
and prestige) to the workplace; it is not just utilitarian. It is a statement
of the firm's belief in the dignity of work and of the value it gives its workers... British Arts and Crafts artists, however, considered factories to be, by definition, alienating.
