The Gothic Revival: Architecture and Decorative Arts in Victorian England

William Morris (1834-1896) drew a drastically different lesson from the mediaeval example : following ideals defended by Carlisle and Ruskin, he sought to rehabilitate the humble work of the artisan. As early as 1861, he fully assumed the role of a decorator by funding the firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co and he became, through his personal commitment, the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement.
If the Gothic Revival had been the object of many exhibitions in England, it had never been dealt with in France. Thus, almost all the pieces selected were presented for the first time in this country. With about a hundred objects, pieces of furniture and drawings from prestigious collections (in particular : royal collections, Palace of Westminster, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cardiff Castle…), the exhibition not only highlighted the striking personalities of the Gothic Revival – Pugin, Burges, Ruskin, Morris – but also dealt with larger themes, such as the industrial and commercial diffusion of Gothic or its place in monumental architecture. Even in its presentation, the exhibition conjured up diverse forms of a typically British passion, where scholarship, invention and a taste for colour are all mingled.