How Did Pugin Contribute To The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution, overshadowed the perception of craft as valuable with its machines and mass production. The advent of machines and capitalism drove out the need for the human hand in the manufacturing industry but technically skilled persons were still necessary to run the machines. The concept of division of labour was introduced as an innovative and efficient solution to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and as a way to increase productivity. Instead of depending on a small number of skilled craftsman to oversee the work from conception to completion, it was easier to divide the process of product making into different stages and training different individuals to perform specific tasks as required in the various stages of production.
This division of labour might have been a good move for the industry but it also meant that it robbed the labourers of the pleasure of seeing their work through to completion as the traditional values of quality and beauty were being replaced by the new motto of economy and profit. As mass production became ubiquitous, advances in technology accelerated at a pace unparalleled in the past. Even before one version of a product was completely sold out, a newer version would emerge rendering the previous one obsolete. This brought on the era of disposable goods which worried even the most forward-thinking men of that time. Pugin, who was not against technology and advancement, was also worried by the rate of decline of nature and human touch to make way for progress.
He believed that in an attempt to conquer the future, people were increasingly turning their backs on the gratification that accompanied traditional craftsmanship and artistry. This philosophy of Pugin influenced and inspired scores of artists, craftsmen and philosophers after his time especially John Ruskin. Ruskin, while working as an art history professor at Oxford University started a crusade to restore England’s lifestyle back to a simpler way of life compatible with nature. His perspective rejected the need for factory-made decoration and promoted a purely English-influenced design. This was in contrast to the Victorian lifestyle prevalent at the time which borrowed heavily from the French. His campaign eventually led to the revival of English Gothic and Medieval styles. Ruskin was also greatly concerned about the thousands of workers in factories labouring in poor conditions for many hours at a time. He believed that work was meant to be a delightful experience. This notion of his was deeply rooted in the ideals of craftsmanship from the past and laid the foundation for the Arts and Crafts movement. It was at the same time that Ruskin was campaigning for reform that William Morris, one of the leaders in the movement, happened to be attending Oxford. It was Ruskin’s philosophy that inspired him to make it his life’s work to
reform society through art.