Arts and Crafts: Ideas That Shaped the World

Explores the global influence of the Arts & Crafts movement, highlighting its Swedish expression through Carl Larsson and its ongoing relevance in design, sustainability, and lifestyle.

The Arts & Crafts movement began as a backlash against industrialism and the prevailing stylistic ideals in mid-19th century Britain. The basic ideas of its followers, including the art critic John Ruskin and the artist William Morris, developed into a global movement, spreading through craft colonies and influencing professionals in several fields, from design and architecture to ornamentation and cultivation. The movement reached Sweden a few decades later and expressed itself as a romanticization of the simple life, tied to the home. One of the leading figures of the movement in Sweden is Carl Larsson, whose colorful paintings are known for depicting the simplicity of everyday life.

In this book, twelve authors focus on the home environments, art schools, museums and other organizations where the ideals and visions were created, interpreted and developed. We get to read about the movement’s continued relevance for our time; not only as a beloved pattern treasure that inspires and forms the basis of new styles, but also our relationship to creation, sustainability thinking and lifestyle.