1. Quizzes & Games
  2. Word of the Day
  3. Video
  4. New Words
 

Arts and Crafts movement


Arts and Crafts movement

/

An English room decorated by William Morris in the Arts and Crafts style.—Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, photograph, John Webb

English social and aesthetic movement of the second half of the 19th century, dedicated to reestablishing the importance of craftsmanship in an era of mechanization and mass production. The name derives from the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society (1888). Inspired by John Ruskin and other writers who deplored the effects of industrialization, William Morris founded a firm of interior designers and manufacturers to produce handcrafted textiles, printed books, wallpaper, furniture, jewelry, and metalwork. The movement was criticized as elitist and impractical in an industrial society, but in the 1890s its appeal widened and spread to other countries, including the U.S. See also Art Nouveau.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on Arts and Crafts movement, visit Britannica.com.

Seen & Heard

What made you look up Arts and Crafts movement? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.

Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Get Our Free Apps
Voice Search, Favorites,
Word of the Day, and More
iPhone | iPad | Android | More
Join Us on FB & Twitter
Get the Word of the Day and More
Facebook | Twitter