William Morris
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| William Morris Decor and Design, Elizabeth Wilhide, Abrams, Inc., NY, 1991 |
One
of the greatest influences of interior design in the 19th C was the
work of William Morris. Born in 1834 in
the village of Walthamstow, Northeast of London, Morris was brought up in a
prosperous family with eight siblings.
He entered Exeter College, Oxford
to ready theology , intent on entering the clergy but while there began
a friendship with Edward Burne-Jones and Charles Faulkner. These, and other friends began to explore
literature of the medieval period particularly poetry. Inspired by medieval history and
architecture Morris and Burne-Jones decided upon a life of design (Morris did
finish Oxford with a degree in Theology).
Burne-Jones became a painter and Morris studied as an architect,
apprenticing under G.E. Street, a leader in the Gothic Revival Movement of that
time.
Street
had a unique view which was to greatly influence Morris, that of the architect
being influential not only in the design of a building but also in its interior
elements, i.e textile and glass design. When Morris met Dante Rosetti he
decided to abandon architecture in favor of painting. It is fortunate for Morris that he had favorable financial
security so that he could pursue these various interests. In1860 Morris married Jane Burden whom he
had engaged as a model and they moved into Red House, designed by Philip
Webb. It was Red House that would serve
to begin Morris’s new career in the decorative arts.
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| William Morris Textiles, Linda Parry, Weideenfireld and Nicolson, Londan, 1983 |
It
is Morris’s textile designs that I speak of today. One of the reasons for Morris’s success was, basically he was a
“process” artist. By that I mean he was
adamant about learning technique (whether modern or classic) before starting a
design. His knowledge of history served
him well as well as his love of nature.
When designing natural elements he designed in mass, using a profusion
of flowers, leaves and vines.
In
1861 Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. was founded, with Burne-Jones,
Rosetti, Webb and Ford Maddox Brown as
founding members, each with an area of specialization. The firm designed handpainted tiles, stained
glass, embroidery and furniture. In
1875 the firm was dissolved and Morris & Co. was formed. From this time the emphasis was interior,
domestic design. Morris designed
wallpaper, printed and woven textiles, carpets and tapestries as well as his
famous embroideries.
Due to his rigid standards, Morris & Co was not hugely profitable and it was to
Morris’s dismay that only the wealthy were able to purchase his expensive
fabrics and wall coverings. His
workshops did produce, however, kits for embroidery and a range of affordable
accessories. Morris died in 1896. His
younger daughter, May, continued his tradition until her death in 1938.
Further Reading
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| Textiles of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Linda Parry,Thames and Hudson, London, 1988 |
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