Lindsay Butterfield (c. 1905), ‘Design for a tapestry’ [watercolour on paper]
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Arts & Crafts movement (no, not arts and crafts as in glitter glue and pipe cleaners)
There is no particular subject (?) except flowers. Flowers and natural forms were key inspiration for ppl in the arts & crafts movement. This was an intentional departure from academic art and philosophy from the enlightenment that deemed form was more important than anything.
Block-printing was used (and it was all done by hand), so wallpaper and designs for tapestries used limited palettes and there was minimal tonal work. Obviously there was difference in tone and shade, but this was more to differentiate between stuff like the petals and the stems.
Curving lines (arabesques) and natural forms were key to the movement -it’s acc quite unusual to see a straight line.
Symmetry and balance, however*, is still important. This may have been an aesthetic consideration, but it was also quite practical - hand-made wallpaper needs to match up so you can stick it on your walls, so this idea will have been central to the Arts & Crafts movement, even for designs that aren’t wallpaper-centric like this.
*symmetry and balance are usually associated with the enlightenment and classical values, which is typically linked with the establishment and mainstream views.
Arts & Crafts was strongly anti-industrialist, quite socialist and a reaction against a perceived drop in standards that came about due to mechanisation and division of labour. Basically, as things became more efficient for profit, quality was sacrificed.
Making things by hand was a key reaction against this, and the use of arabesques and natural forms (and natural subjects) was also a reaction against this.
There was also influence from medieval and folk art - despairing at the industrialised world, they looked back to the past for some kind of utopian ideal. I mean, they had cholera and the plague, but at least they didn’t have capitalism, am I right???
I love the delicacy of this piece. The colours are very soft and blend in with the delicate natural forms. It’s something I would like to wear, which kinda suits because it’s a design for a tapestry (i.e. a piece of material). These aren’t colours I would use in my own art, but it’s always nice to see how other people use them in ways I would never have thought to.
