I tend to be somewhat infatuated with the Arts & Crafts Movement. There’s much about it – historically, socially, and artistically – that I admire and that intrigues me.
The Arts & Crafts Movement was an era of development of the decorative arts, spanning about 1875 to about 1920, give or take some years.
As with any era or trend in the decorative arts, it’s hard to establish an exact beginning date and an exact ending date, because no trend in art is isolated from its preceding and subsequent trends. What came before influences the era; what comes after develops from the era or as a reaction to it. But roughly, that’s that time frame – 1875 to 1920, beginning in Britain and spreading throughout Europe and America.
You’ll find several well-known names associated with the Arts & Crafts Movement: William Morris, John Ruskin, Augustus Pugin – these three were perhaps the main movers and shakers behind the decorative trends that would expand and eventually encompass much of the globe.
But lately, as we’ve enjoyed a revival of interest in the Arts & Crafts Movement, many of the women involved in the movement have gained more and more of the spotlight.
For those who would like to learn more about these women and about the decorative arts they pursued to a high form of excellence, I thought you’d appreciate this article, “Discover the Forgotten Women of the Arts and Crafts Movement” on Home and Antiques. Grab a cuppa and enjoy reading it this weekend!
May Morris: Decorative Needlework
A belief in the power of beauty is a wholesome thing, and I make no apology for preaching it…
And while you’re at it, delve into the rabbit hole of May Morris’s book, Decorative Needlework, available on Internet Archive.
This is a very easy-to-read book that unfolds many principles of design and technique that governed needlework during the Arts and Crafts Movement. I think it’s worth reading!
Does everything Morris says apply necessarily today? No, not necessarily. But many of the principles are certainly worth at least considering in your own embroidery pursuits.
I hope you enjoy these two resources and that you can spend a little time exploring them!
Have a wonderful weekend!
