St George Cabinet by Philip Webb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

St George Cabinet by Philip Webb - Essay Example Background of Webb and Morris The St George Cabinet was made with two individuals who worked together, one which focused on the architecture of the cabinet, named Philip Webb, and the other which included the paintings, known as William Morris. The scenes that are incorporated are from the life of the saint and are taken directly from Medieval style architecture and art. The concept which is associated in this piece is one which consists of the Victorian values of the time, specifically which both the artists had1. The idea of the values was based on the sense of morality toward Christianity and reverence toward the older styles of art work. Morris directly influenced this because of his strong association with the Church and the restoration of older Churches that he was continuously involved in. Webb followed this particular concept with the commercial architecture that he believed was taking away from the reverence of religion and morality of the time2. The concept of religion and morality which both represented not only was based on the restoration of religion in which both believed in. ... This was based on the pagan style initiatives which were initially a part of the Church and which were approached by bringing back the original expressions of religion. The approach to several of the works, specifically by Morris, was descriptive of these scenes, the actions of the saints, and the original stories which could be exhibited in terms of religion and ritual3. Techniques and Materials of St George Cabinet The materials that are used for the Saint George Cabinet consist of painted and gilded mahagony, pine and oak and copper mounts. The overview of this can be seen in figure 1. Fig 1: Saint George Cabinet The main concept with the materials was to use the natural elements that would best represent the cabinet, combined with using durable woods to the completion of the cabinet4. The materials which were used were specifically based on finding the natural woods that would hold in durability and strength, combined with finding the materials from easy to locate resources for t he finished product. This combined approach then allowed for the cabinet materials to work in the finished handicraft material5. The techniques that were used in the making of the cabinet and the design are also defined as rare for the time because of the approach which was taken with the shape and building of the cabinet. The architecture of the cabinet, while having a box like structure, also has the Medieval elements from the sides, specifically with the pointed sides to the cabinet. The horizontal look that is held on the stand is also different to the architecture and creates an appearance that was not as popular for the time. Instead, most were interested in the length – wise