Influences & Inspirations - The Arts & Crafts Movement

Textile designer, artist, writer, poet, publisher, architect and socialist William Morris (1834-1896) was the defining figure of the British Arts & Crafts movement. His craftsmanship ideals and use of stylised floral and organic forms resonated with many Art Nouveau artists. Intimately connected to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and inspired by the writings of Ruskin, Morris rejected the tawdry production values and dehumanising aspects of industrialisation. In 1888, the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society (president Walter Crane) held its first shows and C.R. Ashbee set up the Guild and School of Handicraft in London’s east end. Arts and crafts communities spread across Europe, led by individuals such as Sweden’s Carl and Karin Larsson, Helsinki architect Saarinen (designer of the Finnish pavilion in 1900) and the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony in Germany.