Rise of Arts and Crafts movement

The Arts and Crafts movement was a design reform movement that began in Britain in reaction to the poor quality of mass-produced goods and the conditions of industrial labour. Inspired by the writings of John Ruskin and led in practice by William Morris, its supporters valued handwork, honest materials and the dignity of the craftsman. They produced wallpaper, textiles, furniture, ceramics, stained glass and printed books, often with designs inspired by nature and the Middle Ages. Morris and Company became its best-known firm. The movement spread to Europe and the United States, where it influenced the Craftsman style, and it was an important forerunner of Art Nouveau and modern design.

Open on the timeline