Overview

Dating from the 1850s to the First World War, the Arts and Crafts Movement was an international phenomenon of enormous scope and influence. It encompassed everything from architecture to town planning, metalwork and embroidery, in places as diverse as California and Budapest. Born of thinkers and practitioners in Victorian England its ideological currents reflect the era s most pressing social, political and artistic concerns. Early British Arts and Crafts practitioners campaigned for a revival of old craft techniques, for the elevation of the applied arts and for honesty in design. These aims were quickly picked up and developed across Europe and the United States, with many national variants soon emerging. In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated introduction to the subject, Rosalind Blakesley explores the common ideas that give cohesion to this wide and stylistically varied movement.

Full Product Details

Author:   Rosalind P Blakesley ,  Martin Charles
Publisher:   Phaidon Press Ltd
Imprint:   Phaidon Press Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 25.00cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 29.00cm
Weight:   1.500kg
ISBN:  

9780714849676

ISBN 10:   0714849677
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   17 March 2009
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Stock Indefinitely
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Chapter 1. Tackling the 'Inexhaustible Mines of Bad Taste': The Birth of Arts and Crafts Ideas - Chapter 2. William Morris and the Early Years: the 1860s and 1870s - Chapter 3. A Communal Affair: the 1880s and 1890s - Chapter 4. The Expansion outside London - Chapter 5. 'A Cry of Delight Sounded throughout Europe': the Low Countries, Germany and Austria - Chapter 6. National Reverberations in Hungary and Poland - Chapter 7. Russia's Merchants, Aristocrats and Artisans - Chapter 8. Questions of Identity in Nordic Climes - Chapter 9. Transformations across the Atlantic - Epilogue - Notes - Bibliography - Index

Reviews

'a fresh, meaty and finely illustrated account. [Blakesley] steers us effortlessly through the complex web of ideas which underlay their thinking and the different communities of artists and thinkers who made up, in a loose sense, the movement.' Country Life 'impeccably reproduced illustrations and a distinguished design.' Building Design 'exceptionally well produced, even by Phaidon standards - design and printing are of the highest quality. ... Blakesley is a fluent and engaging writer, with an expressive spark that frequently illuminates the subject matter. ... she has read widely, travelled extensively and knows her source material inside out. Her account of the roots of the Arts and Crafts [...] is first rate. ... As Blakesley hint in a brief afterword, the ideas of these pioneers still resonate in a world dominated by over-production and waste and badly in need of a new philosophy of architecture and design.' Architect's Journal 'enthralling and provocative .. a handsome survey, stuffed with marvelous illustrations ... The greatest pleasure of this well-written book is the ease with which the author links a huge range of phenomena, [...] finding a compelling unity in the ideas behind an enormous diversity in practice.' V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum magazine) 'one of the most thorough surveys of the breadth and impact of the Arts and Crafts. ... Blakesley sets a new benchmark in Arts and Crafts critique with this comprehensive and attractive volume.' Antiques 'nothing short of brilliant ... will probably become the seminal work on the subject.' Artists & Illustrators '[a] magnificent overview' Apollo '[Blakesley's] coverage is wider than anything we have had before ... As well as a kaleidoscope of ideas, Blakesley provides a splendid array of images. It is one of Phaidon's best produced books for some time.' The Architectural Review 'a fascinating - and pretty definitive - survey ... beautifully illustrated' The Independent '...Unlike many other books covering the subject, hers goes beyond discussing its origin and development in Victorian England.' American Craft 'In this beautifully illustrated survey, the arts and crafts movement is interpreted more broadly than usual...this book offers much to consider and enjoy.' Interior Design 'Photographs luxuriate in a glorious open design, beautifully printed on thick rich paper, creating a feast for the eyes.' Publishers Weekly

a a fresh, meaty and finely illustrated account. [Blakesley] steers us effortlessly through the complex web of ideas which underlay their thinking and the different communities of artists and thinkers who made up, in a loose sense, the movement.a (TM) Country Life a impeccably reproduced illustrations and a distinguished design.a (TM) Building Design a exceptionally well produced, even by Phaidon standards a design and printing are of the highest quality. a | Blakesley is a fluent and engaging writer, with an expressive spark that frequently illuminates the subject matter. a | she has read widely, travelled extensively and knows her source material inside out. Her account of the roots of the Arts and Crafts [a |] is first rate. a | As Blakesley hint in a brief afterword, the ideas of these pioneers still resonate in a world dominated by over-production and waste and badly in need of a new philosophy of architecture and design.a (TM) Architecta (TM)s Journal 'enthralling and provocative .. a handsome survey, stuffed with marvelous illustrations ... The greatest pleasure of this well-written book is the ease with which the author links a huge range of phenomena, [...] finding a compelling unity in the ideas behind an enormous diversity in practice.' V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum magazine) 'one of the most thorough surveys of the breadth and impact of the Arts and Crafts. ... Blakesley sets a new benchmark in Arts and Crafts critique with this comprehensive and attractive volume.' Antiques a nothing short of brilliant a | will probably become the seminal work on the subject.a (TM) Artists & Illustrators '[a] magnificent overview' Apollo a [Blakesleya (TM)s] coverage is wider than anything we have had before a | As well as a kaleidoscope of ideas, Blakesley provides a splendid array of images. It is one of Phaidona (TM)s best produced books for some time.a (TM) The Architectural Review 'a fascinating - and pretty definitive - survey ... beautifully illustrated' The Independent a a |Unlike many other books covering the subject, hers goes beyond discussing its origin and development in Victorian England.a (TM) American Craft a In this beautifully illustrated survey, the arts and crafts movement is interpreted more broadly than usuala |this book offers much to consider and enjoy.a (TM) Interior Design a Photographs luxuriate in a glorious open design, beautifully printed on thick rich paper, creating a feast for the eyes.a (TM) Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Rosalind P Blakesley is Senior Lecturer in the History of Art and a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. She has written widely on the Arts and Crafts Movement, and on Russian art.

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