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Loading... The Arts and Crafts Movement (edition 1995)by Robin Langley Sommer (Editor)
Work InformationThe Arts and Crafts Movement by Robin Langley Sommer
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Art Nouveau is probably my favourite art movement, so when I spotted this book in a charity thrift shop I figured I would pick it up to try and get a better understanding of Art Nouveau’s preceding and overlapping movement: Arts and Crafts. Unfortunately, my reaction to this book was much the same as it often is with art books: bored and confused by the text, dissatisfied with the imagery, and overall underwhelmed. The text borders on academic, jumping from topic to topic throughout and name dropping artists with little reference to their actual work, so I inevitably quit reading to focus on the imagery - which is the most important part of an art book anyways. Unfortunately, the authors didn’t include nearly enough examples of artworks to satisfy me, and those that they did show were rather underwhelming. From the introduction, I figured that I would be able to enjoy the pieces because they were influenced by much of the same as those from Art Nouveau (albeit with less extravagance), but with few visual samples I was left wanting by the final pages. I’m not going to keep this book for my collection, but I think I’ll try to find some more books on the subject, since it’s an artistic movement I definitely feel like I should explore more. ( ) no reviews | add a review
"Inspired by a combination of aesthetic and social ideals, the Arts and Crafts Movement emerged in England in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Idealist like John Ruskin, the eminent art critic and social theorist, and William Morris, a designer of rare talent and scope, deplored the ugliest of mass-produced goods made from cheap materials on the assembly line. They called for an end to dehumanizing industrial conditions and a return to the standards of craftsmanship practiced by the medieval guilds, whereby a community of workers produce well-designed handmade goods for daily use and created such works of art as the Gothic cathedral. Morris was the moving power behind Ruskin's principles, attracting into the movement a host of friends, including the Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rosseti and architect Philip Webb. They focused on rediscovering the beauty of natural materials and honest craftsmanship. This beautiful volume showcases the work of Arts and Crafts designers across the spectrum. Illustrated by more than 150 stunning photographs, it surveys an exciting chapter in the history of the decorative arts-one that is still being written today." --provided by Goodreads. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)745The arts Graphic arts and decorative arts Decorative ArtsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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