Eileen Gray. Jennifer Goff. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Jennifer Goff
Издательство: Ingram
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Биографии и Мемуары
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9780716533122
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H. Wellens, W. Godenne rue de Roumanie Editions, 1933.

       4

       The Realm of Lacquer

      In 1854, after more than 200 years of isolation, Japan reopened its ports to western trade and in so doing provided a fresh source of artistic inspiration to the West. Japanese furniture which came into the European market was praised for its simplicity, purity of form and strong feeling for nature. In a reaction against ornate historical eighteenth-century furniture styles, British designers tried to capture the spirit of the East with its use of lacquered wood finish and an emphasis on structural design. Functional elements such as hinges and key plates became decorative. In England tastes were also being defined by Liberty department store, which became a major outlet for artistic items when it was opened by Arthur Lazenby Liberty (1843-1917) in Regent Street in May 1875. His talent for acquiring tasteful objet d’art from Japan and the East was noted by the furniture designer E.W. Godwin (1833-1886) with Godwin describing the excitement of Liberty’s