lecture 10 pt2

Arts and Crafts Movement Overview

• The Arts and Crafts Movement was a response to industrialization in England during the late 19th century.

• Key figures: John Ruskin and William Morris.

  • Ruskin and Morris distrusted machines and industrial capitalism, believing it alienated workers from their nature.

Philosophy and Goals

• Advocated for work that is "made by the people for the people, as a joy for the maker and the user."

• Ideas aligned with socialism; many artists participated in labor movements of the late 19th century.

• Focused on producing functional objects with high aesthetic value, often based on natural forms with floral and geometric patterns.

• Emphasized high-quality craftsmanship and honest labor, aiming to create beautiful, handcrafted works accessible to the public.

  • However, most works remained expensive, limiting accessibility to the wealthy.

Historical Influences

• Interest in the spiritual qualities of medieval art and community emphasis from that time.

• Many designs drew inspiration from medieval styles combined with a love of nature.

• Morris founded a firm, Morris Marshall Faulkner and Company, producing various functional goods (e.g., wallpaper, textiles, furniture, stained glass).

Architectural Example: The Red House

• Designed by William Morris and built by Philip Webb in 1859, located in Kent, England.

• Features include:

  • Highly pitched roofs and scattered chimneys.

  • Gabled roofs reminiscent of Tudor Gothic and medieval vernacular styles.

  • Named for its exposed brick construction, in contrast to white stucco prevalent at the time.

• Interior furnishings were designed by Morris, Jane Morris, and Edward Burne-Jones, showcasing elaborate woodwork and fabrics.

Influence in Scotland

• Charles Rene Macintosh continued the Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland as part of the Glasgow Four.

• Macintosh aimed to synthesize architecture with furniture, textiles, and stained glass.

  • Example: The Glasgow School of Art library (1907-1909), known for its simplicity, clarity, monumentality, and integration of organic elements.

Art Nouveau Movement

• Art Nouveau emerged in late 19th century Europe, emphasizing new art forms that rejected historicism.

• Characterized by:

  • Serpentine designs inspired by organic forms.

  • Use of slender iron supports instead of heavy masonry.

• Notable work: Horta's Tassel House in Belgium, filled with elaborate decoration and unconventional spatial organization.

Victor Horta and Influence

• Horta's work inspired others in the Art Nouveau style, including Hector Guimard.

  • Guimard's Port Daphne metro entrance in Paris (1899-1904) is iconic for its organic design and use of prefabricated iron.

  • Employed patina to mimic weathered bronze on painted iron elements, incorporating motifs such as dragonfly wings in glass panels and veined plant stems in columns.

Modern Parallels

• Chicago mirrored Parisian architecture, incorporating similar styles in buildings and public spaces.

• Reference to the trainway entrances as an example of this architectural synthesis.