Week 1- Arts and Crafts

 Arts and Crafts 

Chapters 15 and 16 

    The Victorian period refers to the decorative arts and architecture produced during the period of Queen Victoria. This would have been set from 1837- 1901 and throughout history technology has played a huge role to the arts and furniture making. Throughout this period there were many materials that had been around for a long time. However, their uses and manufacturing techniques increased these materials usage. Over time there was a promotion of the gothic style in England that spread over Europe, one example of this in Germany is the Neuschwanstein, Ludwig II. It's a fairytale looking castle which was constructed in the late Gothic Revival. In France we find a similar castle, the Eugene Viollet-le-Due which supported the Gothic movement. 

    In the English Colonies the use of the Gothic Revival was a way to connect with the homeland and affirm the English heritage. The American Gothic Revival also was related to tendencies of Romanticism. It started out as a literary movement that focused on emotion and intuition. The Romantic landscape painting connected to the American Gothic Architecture and furniture design in two ways. The manner that architects represented their buildings in natural environments. As well as in the buildings design themselves. A main figure in the American Gothic Revival was Richard Upjohn, he was focused on asymmetry. His designs were lots of churches including the Trinity Church in Boston. In this time there were many other architects as well that made their impact on the Americas including Alexander Jackson Davis, he is known for turning his design talents to create modest Gothic homes. His architecture connected the American style to the European style developments. Andrew Jackson Downing is another architect that worked with the Gothic Revival architecture. He also helped spread the Victorian Gothic style. 

    Throughout this time there was a lot of architecture that was developed but also furniture. One piece being the Gothic revival side chair, it is bulky chairs normally in the Gothic period. It has legs turned in and uses the pointed arch for the back of the chair. Another piece of furniture is the Thebes stool, which has pointed corners that elevate about the center of the stool. 

    The arts and crafts movement were an influenceable English movement, it had worldwide implications and a lasting effect on design. Leaders and followers of the Arts and Crafts movement felt there were two big scourges of the time, the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Design. They were also highly focused on the unity of the arts, in other time periods there was a hierarchy that tended to take over the period. This showed a major shift in how those that were involved with the high arts, painting, sculpting, and architecture. Lots of their inspiration came from German tribes and the Celtic tales. 

    This time period developed lots of furniture as well such as the Rossetti Chair, this chair has a more modern look to it. I feel this is something that could be connected to current design. As well as the Voysey, The Orchard. The picture inserted into the textbook shows an interior space that is both simplistic as well as detailed. Such as the vertical lines displayed on the stairs. This is a design element that is impactful while not taking away from much of the other design elements. Throughout this time there were many prints that were developed, lots of fun and expressive designs such as the water snake's print. 

  

ONE STEP FURTHER 

  Throughout this chapter my favorite designs came from William Morris, he was a designer, writer, reformer, and poet. He mainly made designs for fabrics, wallpaper, and graphics. All the designs were mainly based on the idea of nature. He also worked on furniture design and developed the Morris Chair. This design is a common chair design that is a lower expense. However, he mainly dedicated his time to graphics and textile patterns.