Born:
March 24, 1834 in Walthamstow, EnglandDied:
October 3, 1896Education:
Marlborough and Exeter College, Oxford UniversityImportant Projects:
- 1859: Red House (Designed with Philip Webb)
- 1866: Armoury & Tapestry Room, St. James' Palace
- 1867: Dining Room, Victoria & Albert Museum
Related People:
Important Styles:
About William Morris:
Although not trained as an architect, William Morris had a profound influence on modern and contemporary arts. Morris is best known as a designer of wall coverings, stained glass, carpets and tapestries. He was also a painter, poet, political publisher, typeface designer, and furniture-maker. William Morris is considered a pioneer of the Arts & Crafts movement.Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti met at university and formed a group of young men known as the Brotherhood or the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They shared a love of poetry, the middle ages and Gothic architecture. They read the writings of John Ruskin and gained an appreciation for Gothic architecture and an enthusiasm for its revival through him. The three friends painted frescoes together at the Oxford Union in 1857.
In 1861, Morris established "the Firm," which would later become Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. Although Morris, Burne-Jones and Rossetti were the most important designers and decorators, most of the Pre-Raphaelites were involved in designing for the company. The talents of the firm were rounded out with the skills of architect Philip Webb and painter Ford Madox Brown who designed furniture and stained glass. The company specialized in stained glass, carving, furniture, wallpaper, carpets and tapestries. One of the most exquisite tapestries produced by the company was The Woodpecker, designed entirely by Morris. It was woven by William Knight and William Sleath and shown at the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society 1888.
Their commissions included the Red House, William Morris' house in Upton (1859), the Armoury and Tapestry Room in St. James' Palace (1866) and the Dining Room in the Victoria and Albert Museum (1867). The partnership came to an end in 1875 and Morris formed a new business called Morris & Company.
Despite the commissions the company continued to receive, Morris' interests had shifted. His primary focus for the rest of his life was on political writing. Initially, he was against the aggressive foreign policy of Conservative Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli and supported Liberal Party Leader William Gladstone. Morris became disillusioned after the 1880 election. He became a socialist and actively wrote for the party and participated in political demonstrations.
