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Essay / William Morris and his influence on working conditions and the philosophy of art in the 19th century
During the industrial revolution, in the mid-19th century, different industries were developing, economic growth was impressive and a huge new world of cities was emerging. However, this had detrimental consequences both on working conditions and people's morale, as well as on the arts and aesthetics. However, not all artists were affected by these massive external and unsightly changes. He was William Morris, a man of genius, one of the most beloved designers of the 19th century, who strove to change the world through beauty and believed that it could make working conditions easier for workers. The artist's main desire was to create beautiful things and express his own values in their making, as well as to unite art and labor so that they could serve society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe history of the working class in the 19th century began with the invention of a steam engine and textile machines to from raw materials. It is worth noting that these inventions stimulated the genesis of the industrial revolution, which changed the living structure of middle-class society. A considerable expansion of industrial facilities and their production forced all city-based bourgeois society to work in factories. Not only were working conditions harsh, but all workers had to work excessive hours. On average, they worked six hours of overtime per week, with some workers left in factories to work on Sundays or even public holidays. The consequence was a poor quality of life for workers, they lost the joy of living and the joy of working. It is difficult to imagine what became of the workers themselves in these conditions, what kind of people they were, what their moral, physical and mental situation was. As they lost the joy of living, all the work they did began to look ugly, not only because of perverse expansion, but because of poor workmanship, poor quality materials and the deprivation of all power of design. Society suffered from the considerable growth of cities, which little by little merged with the cities of previous ages, when their own labor increased the charm of nature or was, at least, in ideal harmony and marveled like a secret that 'they had. had lost. Indeed, all this meant that society was fed up with the ugliness of its time and dreamed of taking a leap into the past as if for a change of scenery and platform. But at first this weariness was completely unconscious. Men were not aware that the art of their time was saddened by illness, they had no idea that illness was social. Not everyone turned away from the suffering working class, a few public figures understood and tried to cure society's illness. . One of them was William Morris, a man who found happiness in every job he did. However hateful the world around him was, he could surround himself with an earthly paradise that only he understood and enjoy all the happiness of work. From his own experience he knew that beauty was a sign of happy work while ugliness revealed unhappy work. Morris heard the cry of doom outside, so he put aside his happiness to rebel. His values, as socialists, were to make everyone believe that art is everyone's business, that they.