William Morris
William Morris was an English artist who lived from 1834 to 1896. He lived a remarkably productive life. Morris was a man of many talents. Though he is most remembered for his association with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, he was also a huge proponent of the Art and Crafts movement. Not only did Morris pursue a variety of artistic endeavors including writing, painting, and textile design, but he was also a conservationist and socialist. He was paramount to the beginning of the Libertarian Socialist party in England.
Morris was born in Walthamstow, England to an upper middle-class family. From an early age, he was widely read, and was greatly influenced by classic fanciful books such as Arabian Nights and Le Morte d’Arthur as well as scientific illustrated books such as Herbal by John Gerard. In 1848, Morris enrolled at Marlborough College. He was an average student, mostly taking away from it his learning and appreciation of architecture. In 1852, Morris enrolled in Exeter College, where he met fellow artist and lifelong friend, Edward Burne-Jones.
Morris started his career in London as an architect working for a Neo-Gothic firm. The city life left a bitter taste in his mouth for the notion of progress and all the pollution that came with it. Morris became more and more fascinated with the medieval period and purchased art from already working Pre-Raphaelite artists. This is how Morris met Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1854.
Morris and Burne-Jones formed friendships with members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Along with William Holman Hunt and Rossetti, this group of friends studied medieval poetry, Pre-Raphaelite art, and theology among other things. Together, they began to reject the modern, industrial age of art and architecture, vying instead for handcrafted artistic items and artisan wares. Inspired initially from Rossetti, Morris and Burne-Jones were part of the second generation of artists that followed the ideology of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. These artists aspired to create a romantic and longing view of times past. During this period, a lot of works centered around the Arthurian legends were created.
Morris and Rossetti met a young woman, Jane Burden, at a theater in Drury Lane in Oxford. She had gone to attend with her sister. They were both smitten with her. Rossetti soon hired Jane as a model. Morris courted her and the two were married in 1859. Unfortunately, the marriage fell into decline after some years. Jane had a long and known affair with Rossetti, though Jane and Morris remained married for the rest of his life.
In 1861, Morris started a decorative arts firm called Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. The firm created a variety of decorative arts including stained glass, tapestries, furniture, jewelry, and carpets and was part of the burgeoning Arts and Crafts movement. Morris’s passion for medieval culture influenced his work. Whenever possible, he employed the more archaic techniques when producing his art. This included printing his books in the fifteenth century fashion, hand weaving tapestries, and using traditional hand woodblock printing for his repeating wallpaper designs.
Morris loved medieval tapestries. Even though they were not fashionable during his time, he learned the ancient craft of weaving for himself. Morris spent over 500 hours teaching himself, and then taught it to his workshop at Merton Abbey in Surrey, England. He had only started learning the craft of weaving in 1879. In addition to all manner of decorative arts, Morris was a celebrated poet and writer. He was also one of the earliest advocates for the historic preservation of buildings and the protection of nature from pollution and industrialism.
During the last years of his life, Morris suffered from declining health. He had epilepsy and gout, and at the end, became an invalid. William Morris died in 1896 at 62 years old from tuberculosis.
Back to the Artists page.
You can learn about different art movements here.
