The Art That Is Life: The Art & Crafts Movement in America, 1875-1920 [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Wendy Kaplan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This paperback edition is a reissue of the classic book on the American Arts and Crafts movement, one of the most significant and far-reaching movements in American art. It is also one of the least understood. It transformed not only how objects looked but how people looked at objects. It changed American attitudes toward design and the home, and compelled people to think about the relationship of art to everyday life. The results can be seen in such diverse styles as Gothic, Oriental, Aesthetic, Colonial Revival, Native American, Mission, and Art Nouveau. "The Art that is Life" was initially published in conjunction with a 1987 exhibition originated by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the first to synthesize the decorative arts and architecture of this period in America. Works include such objects as furniture, glass, silver, ceramics, textiles, wallpaper, books, and architectural drawings. With eight essays by distinguished scholars and more than 300 illustrations, this book serves not only as a classic reference on American design reform but also as a celebration of the era that so unified the "artful" with the "useful."

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Press; illustrated edition edition (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821225545
• ISBN-13: 978-0821225547
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #873,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Arts and Crafts Exhibition, November 20, 1999

By	Simulacrum - See all my reviews

This paperback is a reprint edition of an important exhibition catalog that was originally issued in 1987. The exhibition, which was held at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and which bore the same title as this book, was comprised of 225 design-related artifacts (furniture, glass, silver, ceramics, textiles, wallpaper, books and architectural drawings) from the era in design and architectural history known as the American Arts and Crafts movement. The book is important because of the thoroughness with which it documents, interprets, and illustrates the moral, esthetic and social reforms that enabled the Arts and Crafts movement to flourish. Included in the 400-page volume are eight essays by various experts on the subject, who introduce more than 300 photographs (including 55 color plates) in discussing a wide range of topics, among them American Arts and Crafts Architecture, The Art of Work, The Role of the Schools, House and Home, and A More Reasonable Way to Dress. The text and illustrations provide ample evidence of the continuing influence of Arts and Crafts: "In altering attitudes toward the fabrication and use of objects," writes curator Wendy Kaplan, "it changed the fundamental perceptions regarding design, the home, and work." (Copyright by Roy R. Behrens from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol. 15, No. 1, Autumn 1999.)

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well illustrated reference of American Arts & Crafts., December 6, 1998

By A Customer

Wendy Kaplan has succeeded to capture in her book, "The Art that is Life," the broad scope of the movement. It is wonderful to see and read of the various elements that made up this rich period in American craftsmanship. From the aesthetics in architectural styles, to the furnishings within them, this book helps to put into perspective the far--reaching impact the movement had on the American consiousness. This well illustrated volume has been a handy reference to me as a collector of Arts & Crafts items, since its publication in 1987. Fortunately now it is available in paperback form as well.