week 1

Victorian Art Movement

The Victorian Art Movement was initiated by the Industrial Revolution, which was a major change in the production of goods by machinery around the 18th and 19th century and spread from the United Kingdom to the rest of the world.

Every aspect of life was altered in some way by this advance in history. The production of materials became very fast and efficient which created a demand for promotion to successfully sell all the new and innovative resources. In turn Graphic Designers grew in numbers to help support the revolution and society in the progress.

The Revolution took commonly known commercial art and advertising into a recognised art form. Hence Graphic Designers were in high demand to promote in high quality and quantity goods coming at a fast rate not seen before. The design of many posters and advertisements became very regular and typically cluttered with little or no white space, yet romantic in the intricacy of the typography and borders.

The moral and philosophical climate of the time was very different from contemporary society today. At the time the values were quite religious and their values were very conservative along with the church philosophy at the time.

Characteristics of Victorian art...

• border
• text in curved banner
• mixed type
• novelty faces and images
• symmetry