Arts and Crafts Bathroom Set c. 1905

This Arts and Crafts Bathroom Set was made by an anonymous artist and lives here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Look at the careful way this anonymous artist constructed this set; the geometric forms of the flowers, the square blocks - they’re so precise, so evenly coloured. There’s an element of restraint at play. I love the texture of the fabrics. The artist has used neutral tones in the material to allow the brighter colours in the embroidery to pop. The artist’s decision to use grey satin bows provides a touch of elegance to the set, and contrasts with the muted tones of the embroidered fabric. There’s something so contemporary about this set, it reminds me of the work of Sophie Taeuber-Arp, a contemporary artist who also used geometric forms in her craft work and abstract paintings. The Arts and Crafts movement was all about taking art out of the galleries and museums and making it part of people’s everyday lives, and this set shows how art can become a part of our everyday lives.