Mackmurdo was the son of a wealthy chemical manufacturer. He was educated at Felsted School, and was first trained under the architect T. Chatfield Clarke, from whom he claimed to have learnt nothing. Then, in 1869, he became an assistant to the Gothic Revival architect James Brooks. In 1873, he visited John Ruskin's School of Drawing, and accompanied Ruskin to Italy in 1874. He stayed on to study in Florence for a while; despite the influence of Ruskin, the Italian architecture he was most impressed by was that of the Renaissance.[1]
Careeredit
In 1874 he opened his own architectural practice at 28 Southampton Street, in central London.
Chair designed by Mackmurdo, the back panel of which has been seen as a precursor of Art Nouveau design.
In 1882, Mackmurdo founded the Century Guild of Artists with his friend and fellow architect Herbert Percy Horne. Others associated with the Guild included most prominently Selwyn Image, but also Clement Heaton, William De Morgan, Heywood Sumner, Christopher Whall, Charles Winstanley, William Kellock Brown, George Esling and John Ruskin's protegee, the sculptor Benjamin Creswick.[1] It was one of the more successful craft guilds of its time. It offered complete furnishing of homes and buildings, and its artists were encouraged to participate in production as well as design; Mackmurdo himself mastered several crafts, including metalworking and cabinet making.
In 1884, the guild showed a display in the form of a music room at the Health Exhibition in London; the stand was shown, with variations, at subsequent exhibitions in Manchester and Liverpool. It incorporated two of Mackmurdo's favourite motifs. One was foliage twisted into sinuous curves.[1]Nikolaus Pevsner described Mackmurdo's use of such foliage on the title page of the designer's own Wren's City Churches (1883) as "the first work of art nouveau which can be traced", identifying its main influences as Rossetti and Burne-Jones, and ultimately, through them, William Blake.[2]
The second motif was the use of thin square columns, topped with flat squares instead of capitals. These columns influenced the furniture designs of C.F.A. Voysey, and, through him, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Mackmurdo used them architecturally on his own house at 8 Private Road, Enfield (1887), and on a house for the artist Mortimer Menpes, at 25 Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea (1893–94), where he incorporated them into a kind of Queen Anne style.[1]
Mackmurdo made a major donation to the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, which is an important repository of the work of the Century Guild.
List of buildingsedit
6 (Halcyon) (1874–6, now demolished) and 8 (Brooklyn) (1883) Private Road, Enfield
16 Redington Road, Hampstead (1889)
12 Hans Road, Chelsea (1894)
25 Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea (1893–4)
109–13, Charterhouse Street (1900)
Great Ruffins, Great Totham (1904)
Village Hall, Great Totham (1929-1930)
Referencesedit
^ abcdDavey, Peter (1997). Arts and Crafts Architecture. London: Phaidon. pp. 56–7. ISBN0-7148-3711-3.
^Pevsner, Nikolaus (1975). Pioneers of Modern Design. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 90. ISBN0-14-020497-0.
Victorian Web: A.H. Mackmurdo, an Overview ("Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo" throughout)
Introduction: Philosophy & Background
Lambourne, Lionel (1980) Utopian Craftsmen: The Arts and Crafts Movement from the Cotswold to Chicago. London. Astragal Books
arthur, heygate, mackmurdo, december, 1851, march, 1942, progressive, english, architect, designer, influenced, arts, crafts, movement, notably, through, century, guild, artists, which, partnership, with, herbert, horne, 1882, pioneer, modern, style, british, . Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo 12 December 1851 15 March 1942 was a progressive English architect and designer who influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement notably through the Century Guild of Artists which he set up in partnership with Herbert Horne in 1882 He was the pioneer of the Modern Style British Art Nouveau style and in turn global Art Nouveau movement Bookcover of Arthur Mackmurdo Wren s City Churches 1883 often cited among incunabula of Art Nouveau Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 List of buildings 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editMackmurdo was the son of a wealthy chemical manufacturer He was educated at Felsted School and was first trained under the architect T Chatfield Clarke from whom he claimed to have learnt nothing Then in 1869 he became an assistant to the Gothic Revival architect James Brooks In 1873 he visited John Ruskin s School of Drawing and accompanied Ruskin to Italy in 1874 He stayed on to study in Florence for a while despite the influence of Ruskin the Italian architecture he was most impressed by was that of the Renaissance 1 Career editIn 1874 he opened his own architectural practice at 28 Southampton Street in central London nbsp Chair designed by Mackmurdo the back panel of which has been seen as a precursor of Art Nouveau design In 1882 Mackmurdo founded the Century Guild of Artists with his friend and fellow architect Herbert Percy Horne Others associated with the Guild included most prominently Selwyn Image but also Clement Heaton William De Morgan Heywood Sumner Christopher Whall Charles Winstanley William Kellock Brown George Esling and John Ruskin s protegee the sculptor Benjamin Creswick 1 It was one of the more successful craft guilds of its time It offered complete furnishing of homes and buildings and its artists were encouraged to participate in production as well as design Mackmurdo himself mastered several crafts including metalworking and cabinet making In 1884 the guild showed a display in the form of a music room at the Health Exhibition in London the stand was shown with variations at subsequent exhibitions in Manchester and Liverpool It incorporated two of Mackmurdo s favourite motifs One was foliage twisted into sinuous curves 1 Nikolaus Pevsner described Mackmurdo s use of such foliage on the title page of the designer s own Wren s City Churches 1883 as the first work of art nouveau which can be traced identifying its main influences as Rossetti and Burne Jones and ultimately through them William Blake 2 The second motif was the use of thin square columns topped with flat squares instead of capitals These columns influenced the furniture designs of C F A Voysey and through him Charles Rennie Mackintosh Mackmurdo used them architecturally on his own house at 8 Private Road Enfield 1887 and on a house for the artist Mortimer Menpes at 25 Cadogan Gardens Chelsea 1893 94 where he incorporated them into a kind of Queen Anne style 1 Mackmurdo made a major donation to the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow which is an important repository of the work of the Century Guild List of buildings edit6 Halcyon 1874 6 now demolished and 8 Brooklyn 1883 Private Road Enfield 16 Redington Road Hampstead 1889 12 Hans Road Chelsea 1894 25 Cadogan Gardens Chelsea 1893 4 109 13 Charterhouse Street 1900 Great Ruffins Great Totham 1904 Village Hall Great Totham 1929 1930 References edit a b c d Davey Peter 1997 Arts and Crafts Architecture London Phaidon pp 56 7 ISBN 0 7148 3711 3 Pevsner Nikolaus 1975 Pioneers of Modern Design Harmondsworth Penguin Books p 90 ISBN 0 14 020497 0 Victorian Web A H Mackmurdo an Overview Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo throughout Pamela Todd The Arts and Crafts Companion Introduction Philosophy amp Background Lambourne Lionel 1980 Utopian Craftsmen The Arts and Crafts Movement from the Cotswold to Chicago London Astragal BooksExternal links editWorks by or about Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo amp oldid 1146821839, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
