Arts & Crafts Movement (1860–1910)
The Arts and Crafts Movement developed in Britain in the mid to late 19th century, flourishing from around 1860 to 1910. It emerged as a reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the poor-quality mass-produced goods that dominated Victorian society.
The movement is called Arts and Crafts because it emphasised the value of handcrafted work and the unity of art and skilled labour. Artists and designers believed that separating design from making dehumanised both the worker and the object.
The driving force behind the movement was a desire for social reform, better working conditions, and a return to meaningful, honest craftsmanship. Influenced by medieval guilds and nature, Arts and Crafts designers created work that was functional, durable, and aesthetically harmonious.
Although it never fully replaced industrial production, the movement had a profound influence on later design philosophies, including Art Nouveau, Modernism, and ultimately the Bauhaus.
Artworks to be inspired by-
You may like to try to reproduce your own version of the Strawberry Thief.
William Morris – Strawberry Thief
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Date: 1883
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Medium: Block-printed textile (indigo discharge on cotton)
Strawberry Thief is a repeating textile pattern featuring thrushes stealing fruit from Morris’s garden at Kelmscott Manor. The design is richly detailed, rhythmical, and densely patterned, with stylised birds, leaves, and flowers interwoven across the surface.
This work embodies the movement’s ideals of craftsmanship, nature-inspired design, and traditional making techniques. Morris rejected industrial mass production, choosing instead to revive hand block-printing methods that valued skill, labour, and material integrity.
The pattern reflects the belief that everyday objects—such as textiles used in the home—should be both useful and beautiful. Morris’s emphasis on honest materials, thoughtful design, and social responsibility lies at the heart of the Arts and Crafts ethos.
Artists to Research:
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William Morris
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Edward Burne-Jones
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Philip Webb
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Charles Voysey
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May Morris
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C.R. Ashbee
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William De Morgan
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Walter Crane
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Ernest Gimson
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Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott
While the movement spread internationally, it was particularly strong in Britain.
Other Research:
Find out more about William Morris, click here.
Find out more about William Morris wall paper designs, click here.
Heritage Crafts endangered list booklet