The prevailing view for centuries was that art was the result of careful craftsmanship representing a heightened reality that both evokes an emotional response and includes thematic material suitable for interpretation in a variety of media, some of which also possessed a utilitarian purpose. This means that art was something that looked great, took a lot of skill, and used the myths, allegories, and stories of the past as sources of inspiration for the work. Some of these art pieces, like vases, also served a purpose, like carrying wine to the table. Just because it was designed with a specific function in mind didn’t mean it couldn’t also be a work of art.

Then came the Romantic Age. And with it the reassessment of the artist as an (often misunderstood) individual with a unique form of expression of his/her particular perspective. First, a split between fine art and decorative art: fine art was intended to be a personalized expression of the individual artist while decorative art was intended to be reproduced for a mass audience. One continued to be viewed as “art”; the other found itself being slowly debased to mere “craft”.  The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in ceramic, wood, glass, metal, and textile. On this guided tour we will discuss the Norton’s collection of Porcelain with Cybis and Wedgwood Porcelain, Glass with its pressed glass and Steuben collection, metalwork in its colonial silver and Revere Bell, and its textile collection with its 16th century tapestries, and prove once and for all that the decorative arts are more than a craft or hobby – they are work of true masters.

On the first Saturday of each month, the Norton offers a special tour at 2 p.m. All tours meet in the lobby. No reservation is required, though groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead. This tour, like all tours and admission to the Norton, is free of charge.