New exhibition in Sheffield explores connections between John Ruskin, William Morris and the Bauhaus

During its early years, the ground-breaking Bauhaus art school championed the ideas of Ruskin and Morris, notably the principles of making, community and excellent design for all, and replaced the traditional teacher-pupil model with the notion of a group of artists working collaboratively together. Prior to the movement’s shift to embracing mass production, handcraft was a central part of the Bauhaus philosophy.

“The exhibition demonstrates some of the ways that Morris’s ideas remained relevant throughout the 20th century and continue to inspire philosophies of design and making today,” says Roisin Inglesby, curator at the William Morris Gallery. The show grew out of a 2019 exhibition that Inglesby curated exploring the links between Morris and the Bauhaus and when Sheffield Museums approached her, it offered an opportunity to expand the scope of the exhibition, and the chance to delve into Sheffield’s Guild of St George collection which holds art and artefacts brought to the city by John Ruskin.

“It was great to have access to the fantastic Ruskin collection they have in Sheffield and brilliant to have that additional context, enabling us to bring in Ruskin’s ideas,” says Inglesby. “Very early on I came up with the four themes for the exhibition – unity, craft, simplicity and community – and what was interesting was that so many of the objects fitted into more than one section. Actually, once we started working on the display, we could see how they fed into each other.”

The exhibition is rich and diverse showcasing around a hundred key works ranging from paintings, furniture, design, homeware and works on paper. Among the many artists and designers represented are Vassily Kandinsky, Edward Burne-Jones, Frank Brangwyn, Marianne Brandt, Gerhard Marcks, William Morris and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Highlights include a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe chair, a coffee machine by Gerhard Marcks, a Daisy patterned tile by William Morris, Frank Brangwyn’s painting of a Young Man in William Morris’ Workshop, Gunta Stolzi’s design for a Multicoloured Carpet, a Lace mat from the Ruskin Lace and Linen Industry which revived traditional methods of cloth production, and a table made by Morris, possibly in collaboration with Philip Webb. There is also a piece of embroidery on display that Morris made with his wife Jane.

“What many of these works have in common is a radical simplicity,” says Inglesby. “When I was thinking about and selecting the works, I wanted to make that visual connection for the viewer between Morris, Ruskin and the Bauhaus – the simple designs and the craft skills.”

There was an idealism and a sincere desire for a society where everyone could enjoy beautiful, well-made designs. “The philosophy was about building your ideal world and creating an environment you want to be in, to create a better world for others,” says Inglesby. “Morris, Ruskin and the Bauhaus were all concerned with the democratization of good design and for William Morris that was very much through the socialist movement.”

The exhibition brings these fundamental concerns to the fore and also points up the fact that they all have a modern resonance. “Sustainability, responsible design, simplicity versus luxury – these are issues that are still relevant to us today,” says Inglesby. “I would like the show to encourage people to think about the fact that history doesn’t necessarily run in a straight line of progress – it is much more circular.”

These pioneering ideas have lost none of their currency and it might be worth revisiting them, suggests Inglesby. “I hope visitors to the exhibition will be prompted to think about how these groups addressed those concerns and how we might address them in our own society. I really hope also that the exhibition will challenge perceptions of the Bauhaus – there was much more to the movement than you might think.”

Pioneers: John Ruskin, William Morris and the Bauhaus, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield, October 19-January 21, 2024. Free entry. sheffieldmuseums.org.uk