The Spirit of the New Idea in Artistic Handicraft': The Ceramics of William H. Grueby

This work examines the career of ceramist William H. Grueby (1867-1925), who produced architectural faience, tiles and art pottery in Boston from 1890 to 1919. It seeks to establish Grueby's place within both a national and an international context of reform in the decorative arts. Boston provided unique opportunities in art education and training and boasted two important local potteries, the Chelsea Keramic Arts Works and the Low Art Tile Works. The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, through architectural commissions and exhibitions, fostered Grueby's efforts to introduce faience and tile as an artistic medium rather than standard building materials. The connection is made between Grueby's arts and crafts aesthetic and the international reform movement among French potters, including Delaherche and Chaplet, and the Art Nouveau of Siegfried Bing. The influence of his most important partners, George Prentiss Kendrick, William Hagerman Graves, and Addison B. Le Boutillier, is analyzed to determine the contribution of each. Also examined is the extent to which arts and crafts philosophies of handwork were maintained in Grueby's businesses (Grueby-Faience Company, Grueby Pottery Company and Grueby Faience and Tile Company). Grueby's insistence on totally handcrafted pottery was integral to his aesthetic statement and ultimately contributed to his downfall. The impact of industrialization on this hand-made aesthetic is evaluated in both pottery and tile production. This study asserts that from 1892 through 1898 William Grueby was a leader in introducing architectural faience and handmade tiles within the context of the arts and crafts movement. It confirms Grueby's importance as an art potter between 1897 and 1904, and the essential contribution of his chief designer, George Prentiss Kendrick. In documenting the relationship between Grueby's pottery and contemporary European taste, the discussion provides an explanation for the extraordinary critical acclaim Grueby's pottery received in Europe in 1900, well ahead of his American recognition. Finally, this study examines the reasons for the long period of decline in Grueby's business, starting about 1906, due to increased competition, and technical and financial reverses.