Question

Answer the following question in 3-4 complete sentences.

Why were weaving and embroidery not accepted forms of art until recently?

Answer 1

Weaving and embroidery were long viewed as "craft" rather than "fine art" because they were domestic, functional, and closely associated with women's work, so they were considered decorative and lacking the intellectual status given to painting and sculpture. The Western art hierarchy that developed in the 18th and 19th centuries privileged individual, nonfunctional objects and techniques deemed more "noble," which marginalized textile practices. Industrialization also framed handwork as mere domestic production rather than artistic creation. Only in the late 20th century—through feminist art movements, craft revivals, and changing ideas about materials and process—were textiles re-evaluated and accepted as legitimate art forms.