The story of female artists in Arts and Crafts movement is an interesting one and in this article, we will explore their paradoxical position within it.Īrts and Crafts Movement – Historical Context It was also one of the first art movements that blurred the line between fine arts and crafts and due to this revision of traditional art hierarchy that allowed a greater involvement of women practitioners. The movement was rooted in the ideals of pre-industrial times, a response to the anxieties that did not only concern aesthetics but also fundamental social issues like industrial labor, capitalism, and alienation of people from their work. It was born in reaction to Industrial Revolution, reevaluating the concept of hand-craftsmanship in the light of industrial manufacture, mechanization and mass-produced objects of inferior quality. Emerging in the late 19th century Victorian England, the Arts and Crafts movement was more than just a nouveau style in decorative arts.
