HANDCRAFTED REBELLION: THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT
HANDCRAFTED REBELLION:
THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT
WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE (please view on desktop)
HANDCRAFTED REBELLION
Originating in late nineteenth-century England, the Arts and Crafts
movement emphasized the return to handcrafted materials over their
newer industrial counterparts. Inspired by natural motifs and medieval
and early Renaissance art, Arts and Crafts artists endeavored to create
items that were both beautiful and utilitarian. The Arts and Crafts
movement spread to America in the early twentieth-century where
workers embraced many of the same ideals.
William Morris (1834-1896) was credited with founding this movement.
He was a British designer, writer, and businessman who founded the
company Morris and Co. in 1861. The company specialized in designing
wallpaper, tiles, textiles, furniture, and stained glass. Morris sought to
emphasize the importance of the artisan and the care that goes into the creation of a unique object. These were values that industrialized
production ignored. Morris went on to found Kelmscott Press in 1891
to promote the artistry and craftsmanship of bookmaking while
furthering the socialist beliefs that were important to him later in life.
He and his contemporaries in the Arts and Crafts movement criticized
modern conditions of production and advocated for the fair treatment
of workers.
Remnants of the Arts and Crafts movement can be seen today in
modern DIY culture. Modern artisans wish to continue the tradition of
quality, handmade goods and channeling creativity into beautiful,
treasured objects.
Antiphonal Manuscript, c. 1475
This Renaissance-era manuscript from Bologna, Italy, is an antiphony, meaning that it depicts the words to a religious chant. It serves as an example of the craftsmanship that William Morris and the Kelmscott Press were attempting to revive. Shown here is both the front and back.
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A Note by William Morris on His Aims in
Founding the Kelmscott Press, 1898
Written by William Morris
Published by Kelmscott Press
William Morris founded the Kelmscott Press in response to rapid industrialization and the rise of machines in Great Britain. He wanted to return to pre-industrial methods of crafting objects. The Kelmscott Press had a unique style, consistent among the books. Each book had handmade linen paper, standardized margins, and durable binding. This press tried to replicate the margins and spacings of medieval manuscripts and Renaissance printing. The works were beautiful and were designed to look as if they replicated the works of an artisan. The Kelmscott Press printed about 20,000 individual copies of 53 books.
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Facsimile of the Kelmscott Chaucer, 1958
Original by Kelmscott Press
Facsimile by the World Pub Co.
Morris’s Kelmscott Press operated in Hammersmith, England from 1891 to 1898 and published contemporary and medieval works. The Kelmscott Press’s republication of the work of fourteenth-century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is among the press’s most famous publications. Only 425 copies of the Kelmscott Chaucer were produced. This facsimile, or recreation, of the Kelmscott Chaucer includes reproductions of the original eighty-seven woodcut panels that create the decorative borders and images depicted in the book.
“The Legend of Good Women,”
leaflet from the Kelmscott Chaucer, 1869
Published by Kelmscott Press
Designed by William Morris
Illustrated by Edward Burnes-Jones
This leaflet from an original Kelmscott Chaucer shows a woodcut produced by Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), who was a friend of William Morris and a leading designer and artist in the Arts and Crafts movement. Inspired by fifteenth-century publications, the press specialized in hand-printed books with luxurious craft bindings intended for middle- and upper-class consumers. The press promoted the idea that art should be handmade and not mass manufactured.
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The Seven Lamps of Architecture, original 1849,
reprint 1913
Written by John Ruskin
English critic and theorist John Ruskin's (1819-1900) focus on the societal impacts of industrialization influenced William Morris, who would go on to champion his ideals in the Arts and Crafts movement. First published in England in 1849, this extended essay outlined Ruskin’s philosophy for good architecture with many examples from the Gothic period. He encouraged a focus on artisanship and the rejection of industry.
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Of the Friendship of Amis and Amile, 1894
Written by William Morris
Published by Kelmscott Press
Of the Friendship of Amis and Amile was translated by William Morris from an old French romance. The two main characters, Amis and Amile, are knights whose friendship and devotion withstand the test of time. Using his innovative Kelmscott Press for this publication, Morris elevated the beauty and craftsmanship of printmaking over the simple commodities provided by industrialized publishing. Morris chose a typeface that was a revival of medieval aesthetics.
AMERICAN ART POTTERY
Across the Atlantic, one of the primary ways the Arts and Crafts style expressed itself was through the American Art pottery movement from the 1870s through the 1950s. The pieces shown here represent a variety of regional pottery houses from across the United States. The movement’s continued emphasis on nature is demonstrated through organic forms and motifs such as birds, rabbits, and plants. The Newcomb College vase specifically highlights the local flora of New Orleans. Both the Rookwood pieces and Dedham dish utilize international inspiration such as Japanese design aesthetics and Chinese crackle glazing techniques. Overall, American Art pottery continued to highlight the original movement’s embrace of handcrafted art in opposition to mass-produced home goods.
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Five-Sided Vase, 1928
Rookwood Pottery, Stoneware
This five-sided vase is a product of the Rookwood Pottery group, which was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, through the patronage of her father. It was developed by a group of women who began to experiment with different forms of clay and glazes. This vase has a blue-green glaze and is made of porcelaneous stoneware. Rookwood was one of the most influential American art pottery companies. During this period of experimentation, Rookwood took part in the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition meant to showcase the artistic capabilities of women.
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Five-Sided Dish, c. 1900
Dedham Pottery, Porcelain
This dish was produced in Dedham, Massachusetts and features the Dedham Pottery Company’s famous stenciled border of cobalt blue rabbits and leaves topped off by their signature crackle glaze. While perfecting the crackle technique, a kiln explosion left company founder Hugh Robertson severely burned and unable to work again.
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Teapot in Veilleuse Shape, c. 1905-1914
Clifton Art Pottery, Stoneware
This teapot created by Newark-based company Clifton Art Pottery during the American Arts and Crafts movement was meant to resemble an oil lamp. Created as part of Clifton’s famous “Crystal Patina” line, the glaze appears to shimmer with small crystals, and the ware is known for its elegant and simple shapes.
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Bowl, 1921
Rookwood Pottery, Stoneware
This bowl was also a product of the award-winning Rookwood Pottery, which received gold medals at both the 1899 and 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Rookwood ceased production in the 1960s but reopened in 2004 and still exists today.
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Vase with Cypress and Oaks, c. 1900-1910
Newcomb College, Earthenware
This vase, like many produced at Newcomb College, features the flora and fauna of the American South. It was made by an uncredited undergraduate student from Newcomb College, a women’s college now part of Tulane University in Louisiana. The unique blue-green, cracked glaze won Newcomb national awards from the 1890s through the 1920s.
THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF WOMEN’S ROLE IN THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT
Established in 1895, the Newcomb Pottery program provided a new opportunity for women in the United States to develop their artistic skills and contribute to the Arts and Crafts movement. Under the guidance of the all-women’s college, H. Sophie Newcomb College, the pottery program created handmade, one-of-a-kind ceramic works. During this time, strict gender roles made it so that only men could use the potter’s wheel; women could only advise men in choosing the vessel’s shape. Women were limited to applying the ornamentation and glazes upon the pottery pieces. Despite the perpetuation of gender discrimination, the Newcomb Pottery program presented new opportunities for women never before seen and even provided them with job opportunities at the Newcomb Company upon graduation.
Left: detail of Vase with Cyprus and Oaks
THANK YOU FOR VISITING
THE VIRTUAL EXHIBIT
Special thanks to Riley Schmidt for the
photography of the museum objects.
This exhibit is brought to you by:
Friends of the University Art Gallery
Truman State University Museums and Archives
And was researched and presented by:
IDSM 360 (Spring 2021), taught by Dr. Heidi Cook
IDSM 361 (Spring 2022), taught by Dr. Sara Orel
Additional thanks go to:
Amanda Langendoerfer, Director of Special Collections and Museums
Cheryl Musch, Reading Room and Collections Manager
Dr. Heidi Cook, Director of the University Gallery
