The Arts and Crafts Movement
The main movement that influenced the Bauhaus, was the English Arts and Crafts Movement. One of the most influential of modern art movements, the Arts and Crafts Movement was established in Britain about 1862 by the artist and medievalist William Morris (1834-96), in response to the negative social and aesthetic consequences of the Industrial Revolution.The movement took its name from the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, set up in 1888, although its origins went back to the negative sentiment generated by the 'Great Exhibition' of 1851, which was ably articulated by the art critic John Ruskin (1819-1900). His ideas on the need to preserve individual craftsmanship and design had a major impact on William Morris, who founded the design firm of 'Morris', 'Marshall', 'Faulkner & Co' to recreate manual craftsmanship in the era of mass production. Although Morris's firm was a commercial success, only rich people could afford his designs. Even so, his ideas had a strong impact on numerous designers, manufacturers and practitioners of Victorian Art, and led to the creation of several organizations to promote Arts and Crafts ideas, such as the Art Workers Guild (1884). The Arts and Crafts Movement was primarily concerned with architecture and the decorative arts, including stained glass, wallpaper, textiles, furnishings, printed fabrics (chintzes), tapestry art, furniture, wood carving, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and mosaic art. The blend of so many of art forms was what dominantly influenced the Bauhaus Movement as they wanted to reunite manufacturing and creativity.