Reading comprehension 6

1.
The Arts & Crafts movement started in England around the 1860s with William Morris. According to John Ruskin, he knew what it was “to live in a cottage with a deal floor and roof, and a hearth of mica; and [he knew] it to be in many respects healthier and happier than living between a Turkey carpet and gilded ceiling, beside a steel grate and polished fender” (Massey 10). In other words, the idea behind Arts & Crafts was to move away from the Victorian style period, with its abundance in objects and decoration, and the Industrial Revolution, with its dependence and continual use of the machine. Arts & Crafts was all about simple hand-making of wood and other natural materials to incorporate into the interiors. Although, Arts & Crafts started in England it soon spread throughout Europe – such as Belgium, Austria, and, especially, Germany – and, eventually, the United States.

The Industrial Revolution was considered to have dehumanized society and Arts & Crafts’ was thought to be the way to bring back morality. According to Leland M. Roth, these “ideals of English Arts and Crafts architecture, particularly the insistences on excellence in design and extreme care in craftsmanship, were carried to Germany and Austria by writers such as Hermann Muthesius” (Understanding Architecture 494). To bring morality and appreciation back into society through craftsmanship became popular not only in England but spread throughout Europe, especially in Germany, through interaction with the founders of this movement. The Arts & Crafts movement not only spread through Europe but its influence spread to the United States. However, the spread of Arts & Crafts was a little different from the original Arts & Crafts in England. The American Arts and Crafts Movement followed the ‘principles and tenets’ of English Arts & Crafts but “interprets them in a more individualistic way and integrates more diverse influences” by promoting “similar ideals and social transformation to a wealthy elite as well as an expanding middle class” (Harwood 449). Although, the American Arts & Crafts movement followed suit from the English Arts & Crafts regarding their main ideals, but did not have set rules to follow from. This led to individual interpretations of those ideals.

Harleshausen Villa by Hermann Muthesius

Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC (Harwood 455)

2.
The Bauhaus style movement originated in Germany and, although the ideals of modernism had already started to arise, Bauhaus became a catapult for modernism.  Bauhaus, also known as the International Style, was similar to Arts & Crafts in they both believed in simplicity in architecture.  However, that is where their similarities end.  Unlike Arts & Crafts, Bauhaus did not turn its back on machines but embraced them and tried to blend fine arts with the machine and industry.  The result, according to Harwood, was “emphasis upon function, mass production, geometric form, an absence of applied ornament, and the use of new materials and methods of construction” (590).  This focus on function, the use of the machine, geometric forms, simplicity, and the explorations of new materials created products that epitomized the dictum “less is more”.  Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye is the perfect example of this dictum.  Le Corbusier simplifies this house by building only the necessary with an artist’s eye.  He uses big windows to take advantage of natural light.  He has open spaces to appreciate the freedom in the space, as well as creates the opportunity to bring as much as the outside in without feeling exposed.  His decorations come in the forms of geometric shapes, such as the winding staircase and rectilinear furniture.  Le Corbusier creates a walkway throughout the house so that the walker can truly experience the entire house in its full beauty.



Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier (Harwood 631)

3.