Walter Crane 1845 - 1915
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I wanted to explore some artists that have used their political
beliefs as the inspiration for their work similarly as I explore mine.
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Walter Crane 1845 – 1915 Crane was heavily inspired by William Morris (who I’m also
going to look at a bit more closely), he was inspired by Morris’s ethos and
physical work. Crane was working within a time of a reawakening within British
art, theorised by Ruskin and demonstrated by Morris art was being repurposed as
something that wasn’t exclusive to the upper-classes and the bourgeoise. H.M Hyndman a contemporary of the two said of Crane that ‘He
put his best services freely at the disposal of socialism and without the
slightest reward beyond the sincere thanks and high appreciation of his comrades
and friends.’ Through reading Shelley and J.S Mill he imaged potential in
every person and concluded that society must be based on equality and freedom
away from poverty and exploitation. Within my research starting from almost a year ago I have found
it hard to find artists or writers who have shared socialist views but Crane
and William Morris are strong examples of how the theory and thought behind an
artist can mean a lot more than the visual outcome of the work. Although I love Morris’s wallpapers and Crane’s drawings
they definitely emphasis on the subject of the work rather than the visual aspects but nevertheless the solidarity of may day illustration of Crane's is still widely used as socialist propaganda. |
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