St George Cabinet by Philip Webb, reaction against commercialism Essay

St George Cabinet by Philip Webb, reaction against commercialism - Essay Example The importance of this piece during this time frame relates to the movements which were occurring against commercialization and the associations which many artists had with the changes occurring in society. Background of St. George Cabinet Saint George’s Cabinet was made in 1861 by Phillip Webb, a renowned architect of the time, as well as his collaborator William Morris. The focus of the cabinet began with the philosophy of a group of artists and individuals which Morris and Webb both belonged to movements which were interested in keeping the fine arts as a main association in society. This movement turned back to the classical structures and paintings, specifically renowned before the 1300s2. The exhibition of displays included intricate furnishings to homes, stained glass windows, large tapestries and murals inclusive of patterns and designs as were a part of the time frame. Each of these were known as an approach to the decorative and ornamental arts because of the intrica te work done, and that both Webb and Morris believed had value in developing a different association with the arts in the current time frame3. The associations with the artistic culture were furthered by the craftsmanship specifically because of other philosophies and considerations of both as well as the expectations for the cabinet. Morris was associated with the church restoration of the time and had developed a deep understanding of the pagan and Christian beliefs associated with the building of the churches during this time. Both also had a strong association with the resurrection of the church and the need to go back to the fundamental beliefs as a part of society, as opposed to the viewpoints as were a part of the church at the time. The scenes used depicted one of the famous stories of St George and is regarded as one of the most important scenes in Biblical history. The ornamentation and associations with this were used to highlight and bring to light the resurrection of th is particular story while trying to move back into the original form of the story that was a part of the time frame. This was combined with the expectation given to the cabinet to show it at the World Exhibition as a part of the arts and handicraft movement of the time4. Making of the Cabinet The cabinet made was a combination of pine and oak material, as well as an overlay of mahogany added after the cabinet was completed. This was combined with copper mounts used for the main display. The cabinet has a rectangular cupboard on a stand and with three doors with a lock plate. There are five scenes located around the cabinet, all divided unevenly among the three doors. The scenes are separated by daisy heads and vertical wavy lines with the rest of the cabinet painted in black with shell patterns and spots on the side and top of the cupboard. It is known the ornamentation is a combination of Orientalism was popular at the time as well as the artistic techniques were of interest to Web b and Morris5. (see Appendix A and B). The painting used for this particular cabinet can also be noted, not only with basic designs, but also with the process used by Morris. The figures in the paintings were depicted by poses of family friends as well as Morris’ wife for the painting. The interior decoration also used the process of layering, specifically with tinted varnish on the ground of silver leaf. This was a medieval method Burges had recently discovered and used with many of