By Sharen Custer, 62days expert
Arguably, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin is credited to be the spiritual father of the Arts & Crafts movement. As he himself said, for him Arts & Crafts was not a style but rather a principle, in his publication of An Apology for the Revival of Christian Architecture in England, 1843.
Pugin was the earliest advocate for the return to mediaeval design and craftsmanship that manifested the truth of materials ethos, and celebration of the work of the craftsman. He used these principles in his approach to the architecture and design.
All Pugin’s work was executed in the Gothic Revival style, which was the forerunner to the Arts and Crafts movement. Apart from the numerous architectural designs of buildings – Pugin is famous for his overall interior design ensembles, the most famous of which is probably the interior of the Palace of Westminster – he designed tiles and fabrics. Both are treasured artefacts nowadays, and are extremely sought after by collectors looking to buy or sell antiques.