The Nature of Gothic

It is fitting that John Ruskin’s essay, “The Nature of Gothic” was one of the first publications to emerge from the Kelmscott Press. His ideas about the spiritual nature of craftsmanship and the importance of the craftsman’s welfare were incredibly influential in Arts and Crafts socialist thought. Ruskin believed that Gothic architecture found its nobility in imperfection, and that the Christian faith allowed craftsman of the time to acknowledge their unworthiness and work freed of an expectation of perfection. Morris read his work as a young man and its poetical musings on the beauty of Gothic architecture encouraged his already strong leanings towards medievalism. At first, Morris was merely interested in the societal implications of Ruskin’s work, but by the time he founded the Kelmscott Press Morris himself was a full-fledged socialist. The Ruskinian concept of ‘Joy in Labour’ would prove to be one of the most prevalent themes in his writings, and manifested itself in his design practice.