Citizendia
Your Ad Here

This page is about William Morris, the British writer, designer and socialist. For other people see William Morris (disambiguation)
William Morris

Born March 24, 1834(1834-03-24)
Died October 3, 1896 (aged 62)
Nationality English
Occupation Artist
Writer
Known for Arts and Crafts movement
British Socialism

William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English artist, writer, and socialist. William Morris is the name of several people William Morris (1834&ndash1896 British writer designer and socialist Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, and American Aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution He was associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was one of the principal founders of the British Arts and Crafts movement, a pioneer of the socialist movement in Britain, and a writer of poetry, fiction, and translations from the Icelandic. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by The Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, and American Aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. As a co-founder of the domestic design firm Morris & Co., Morris was influential in the resurgence of traditional textile arts in the wake of the industrial revolution, working across a broad spectrum of techniques including tapestry weaving, dyeing with natural dyes, carpet-making, wood-block printing, and embroidery in the style that became known as art needlework. Morris Marshall Faulkner & Co (1861-1875 and its successor Morris & Co The textile arts are those Arts and Crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic Fibers to construct practical or decorative The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Tapestry is a form of Textile art. It is woven by hand on a vertical Loom. This article describes textile weaving For other senses of this word see Weaving (disambiguation. Dyeing is the process of imparting Colours to a textile material in loose fibre Yarn, Cloth or garment form by treatment with a Dye. A dye can generally be described as a Colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied A carpet is any loom-woven felted textile or grass floor covering For the origins of the technique and non-artistic use see Woodblock printing; for the related technique invented in the 18th century see Wood engraving Embroidery is the Art or Handicraft of decorating fabric or other Materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or Art needlework was a type of surface Embroidery popular in the later Nineteenth century under the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites and the Arts and He is also well known as a designer of wallpaper and patterned fabrics and as the founder of the Kelmscott Press. This page refers to the material used for Interior decoration. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn.

Contents

Biography

Early life and education

Born on his family's estate of Elm House in Walthamstow, he went to school at Marlborough College, but left in 1851 after a student rebellion there. This article is about a town For the album by East 17 see Walthamstow (album. Marlborough College is an English independent, Co-educational Boarding school in the county of Wiltshire. He then went to Exeter College, Oxford after studying for his matriculation to the university. Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the 4th oldest college of the University The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the He became influenced by the work of art and social critic John Ruskin while there. An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating Art. Their written critiques or reviews are published in newspapers magazines books and on web sites Social criticism analyzes Social structures which are seen as flawed and aims at practical solutions by specific measures radical Reform or even Revolutionary John Ruskin (8 February 1819 &ndash 20 January 1900 is best known for his work as an Art critic, sage writer, and Social critic, but is remembered

Artistic influences

It was at Exeter that Morris met his life-long friend and collaborator, Edward Burne-Jones. Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (28 August 1833 &ndash 17 June 1898 was an English Artist and Designer closely associated with the later They became strongly influenced by exhibitions of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Ruskin's "On the nature of Gothic architecture", Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur and the poetry of Tennyson. Morris began to develop his philosophy of eschewing the tawdry industrial manufacture of decorative arts and architecture and favouring a return to hand-craftsmanship, raising artisans to the status of artists, creating art that should be affordable, hand-made, with no hierarchy of artistic mediums. The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in Ceramic, Wood, Glass, Metal, or Textile. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation An artisan, also called a Craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative including furniture clothing

Marriage and family

Morris married Jane Burden at St Michael at the Northgate, Oxford, on 26 April 1859. Jane Burden ( 19 October 1839 &ndash 26 January 1914) was an English artists' model who embodied the Pre-Raphaelite St Michael at the Northgate is a church in Cornmarket Street, at the junction with Ship Street, central Oxford, England. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, They had two daughters, Jane (called Jenny), who developed epilepsy after a boating accident, and Mary (called May), who herself became a designer and writer. Epilepsy is a common chronic Neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Mary "May" Morris ( 25 March 1862 – 17 October 1938) was an English Artisan, Embroidery Designer Although of very humble origins and unschooled in youth, Jane Morris underwent a remarkable self-education after her marriage, becoming Morris's intellectual and artistic equal. A striking beauty, she mixed freely with the Pre-Raphaelites and posed many times for Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882 was an English poet Illustrator, painter and Translator.

Business career

David's Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts.
David's Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (28 August 1833 &ndash 17 June 1898 was an English Artist and Designer closely associated with the later For other churches with this name please see Trinity Church (disambiguation Trinity Church in the City of Boston, located in the Back
Morris's painting La belle Iseult, also inaccurately called Queen Guenevere, is his only surviving easel painting, now in the Tate Gallery.
Morris's painting La belle Iseult, also inaccurately called Queen Guenevere, is his only surviving easel painting, now in the Tate Gallery. Tate is the United Kingdom 's national museum of British and Modern Art and is a network of four art galleries in England: Tate Britain (opened in

After graduating from Oxford, in January 1856 Morris became an apprentice to G. E. Street, one of the leading English Gothic revival architects, where he met another lifelong friend, the architect Philip Webb. George Edmund Street ( 20 June 1824 &ndash 18 December 1881) was an English Architect, born at Woodford in Essex Philip Speakman Webb ( 12 January, 1831 &ndash 17 April 1915) was an English Architect &mdash sometimes called the He abandoned architecture for painting, but soon found himself drawn more and more to the decorative arts. The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in Ceramic, Wood, Glass, Metal, or Textile. He and Webb built Red House at Bexleyheath in Kent, Morris's wedding gift to Jane. Red House in Upton, Bexleyheath in the southern suburbs of London, England is a key building in the history of the Arts and Crafts movement Bexleyheath, formerly known as "Bexley New Town" part of the London Borough of Bexley in South East London consists of a suburban development located 12 miles (19

In 1861, he founded the decorative arts firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. with Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown and Philip Webb as partners. The decorative arts are traditionally defined as ornamental and functional works in Ceramic, Wood, Glass, Metal, or Textile. Morris Marshall Faulkner & Co (1861-1875 and its successor Morris & Co Dante Gabriel Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882 was an English poet Illustrator, painter and Translator. Ford Madox Brown ( April 16, 1821 &ndash October 6, 1893) was an English painter of moral and historical subjects notable for his In 1874 Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown decided to leave the firm, requiring a return on their shares which proved to be a costly business. Throughout his life, he continued to work in his own firm, although the firm changed names. Its most famous incarnation was as Morris and Company. Morris Marshall Faulkner & Co (1861-1875 and its successor Morris & Co The company encouraged the revival of traditional crafts such as stained glass painting, hand embroidery, woodblock-printed textiles and wallpaper, and dyeing silk and wool with vegetable dyes, and Morris himself single-handedly recreated the art of tapestry weaving in Britain. A craft is a Skill, especially involving practical arts. It may refer to a Trade or particular art His designs are still sold today under licences given to Sanderson and Sons and Liberty of London. Liberty is a well known store in Great Marlborough Street in central London, England at the heart of the West End shopping district

Morris's commissions include the ceiling within the dining room of Charleville Forest Castle, Ireland and interiors of Bullers Wood House, now Bullers Wood School in Chislehurst, Kent. Charleville Forest Castle is a Gothic-style Castle located in the centre of Ireland, bordering the town of Tullamore, near the Shannon River Bullers Wood School for Girls is a comprehensive all-girls' secondary school based on St Nicolas Lane in Chislehurst, part of the London Borough of Chislehurst is a suburban settlement in south east London, England and part of the London Borough of Bromley. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format

Socialism

Morris and his daughter May were amongst Britain's first socialists, working directly with Eleanor Marx and Engels to begin the socialist movement. Eleanor "Tussy" Marx ( 16 January 1855 – 31 March 1898) was a Marxist Author, Political activist, Friedrich Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895 was a German social scientist and philosopher, who In 1883, he joined the Social Democratic Federation, and in 1884 he organised the breakaway Socialist League. The Social Democratic Federation (SDF was established as Britain's first organised socialist Political party by H The Socialist League was an early Revolutionary socialist organisation in the United Kingdom. Morris found himself rather awkwardly positioned as a mediator between the Marxist and anarchist sides of the socialist movement, and bickering between the two sides eventually tore the Socialist League apart. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i This side of Morris's work is well-discussed in the biography (subtitled "Romantic to Revolutionary") by E. P. Thompson. Edward Palmer Thompson ( February 3, 1924, Oxford &ndash August 28, 1993, Worcester) was an English historian It was during this period that Morris wrote his best-known prose works, in particular A Dream of John Ball and the utopian News from Nowhere. A Dream of John Ball ( 1888) is a novel by English author William Morris about the English peasants' revolt of 1381 and the rebel John Ball News from Nowhere (1890 is a classic work combining Utopian socialism and Soft science fiction written by the artist designer and socialist pioneer

Later years

Main Entrance to Kelmscott Manor
Main Entrance to Kelmscott Manor

Morris and Rossetti rented a country house, Kelmscott Manor at Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, as a summer retreat, but it soon became a retreat for Rossetti and Jane Morris to have a long-lasting affair. Kelmscott Manor is a limestone house in the Cotswold village of Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, England. Kelmscott is a small Village close to the River Thames in West Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire near the Gloucestershire border History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the After his departure from the Socialist League, Morris divided his time between the Company, then relocated to Merton Abbey,[1] Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, the Kelmscott Press, and Kelmscott Manor. Kelmscott House is a historic building in Hammersmith, the London home of William Morris from April 1879 to his death in October 1896 At his death at Kelmscott House in 1896 he was interred in the Kelmscott village churchyard.

Writings

Poetry

Morris began publishing poetry and short stories in 1856 through the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine which he founded with his friends and financed while at university. His first independently published work, The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems (1858) was coolly received by the critics, and he was discouraged from publishing more for a number of years. Guinevere was the legendary Queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first The year 1858 in literature involved some significant new books "The Haystack in the Floods", one of the poems in that collection, is probably now one of his better-known poems. " The Haystack in the Floods ", is a narrative poem of some 150 lines by William Morris, first published in The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems It is a grimly realistic piece set during the Hundred Years War in which the doomed lovers Jehane and Robert have a last parting in a convincingly portrayed rain-swept countryside. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior

One early minor poem was "Masters in this Hall" (1860), a Christmas carol written to an old French tune. The year 1860 in literature involved some significant new books A Christmas carol (also called a Noël) is a carol ( Song or Hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter [2]

When he returned to poetry in the late 1860s it was with The Earthly Paradise, a huge collection of poems loosely bound together in what he called a leather strapbound book. The theme was of a group of medieval wanderers who set out to search for a land of everlasting life; after much disillusion, they discover a surviving colony of Greeks with whom they exchange stories. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The collection brought him almost immediate fame and popularity.

The last-written stories in the collection are retellings of Icelandic sagas. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages From then until his Socialist period Morris's fascination with the ancient Germanic and Norse peoples dominated his writing. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language Together with his Icelandic friend Eiríkr Magnússon he was the first to translate many of the Icelandic sagas into English, and his own epic retelling of the story of Sigurd the Volsung was his favourite among his poems. Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga.

Due to his wide poetic acclaim, Morris was offered the Poet Laureateship, after the death of Tennyson in 1892, but declined. A Poet Laureate is a Poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets

Translations

Morris also translated large numbers of medieval and classical works, including collections of Icelandic sagas such as Three Northern Love Stories and Virgil's Aeneid, both in 1875, and Homer's Odyssey in 1887. For the works or study of works from classical antiquity see Classics Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or For the group of nine Ancient Egyptian deities see Ennead. The Aeneid (əˈniːɪd in The year 1875 in literature involved some significant new books Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. The year 1887 in literature involved some significant new books

Fantasy novels

Title page of the 1890 American edition of The House of the Wolfings.
Title page of the 1890 American edition of The House of the Wolfings.

In the last nine years of his life, Morris wrote a series of fantasy novels – including The Wood Beyond the World and The Well at the World's End – that have been credited as important milestones in the history of fantasy fiction, because, while other writers wrote of foreign lands, or of dream worlds, or the future (as Morris did in News from Nowhere), Morris's works were the first to be set in an entirely invented fantasy world. The Wood Beyond the World is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element The Well at the World's End is a fantasy novel by the British artist poet and author William Morris. News from Nowhere (1890 is a classic work combining Utopian socialism and Soft science fiction written by the artist designer and socialist pioneer A fantasy world is a type of Imaginary world, part of a Fictional universe used in Fantasy novels and games [3]

These were attempts to revive the genre of medieval romance, and not wholly successful, partly because he eschewed many literary techniques from later eras. As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative [4] In particular, the plots of the novels are heavily driven by coincidence; while many things just happened in the romances, the novels are still weakened by the dependence on it. [5] Nevertheless, large subgenres of the field of fantasy have sprung from the romance genre, but indirectly, through their writers' imitation of William Morris. [6] The Wood Beyond the World is considered to have heavily influenced C. S. Lewis' Narnia series, while J. R. R. Tolkien was inspired by Morris's reconstructions of early Germanic life in The House of the Wolfings and The Roots of the Mountains. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 A Tale of the House of the Wolfings and All the Kindreds of the Mark is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer (The young Tolkien attempted a retelling of the story of Kulervo from the Kalevala in the style of The House of the Wolfings. The Kalevala is a book and epic poem which the Finn Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish and Karelian Folklore in the nineteenth [7]) James Joyce also drew inspiration from his work. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 &ndash 13 January 1941 was an Irish expatriate writer widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the [8]

Architecture

Although Morris never became a practising architect, his interest in architecture continued throughout his life. In 1877 he founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (sometimes known as "Anti-Scrape"). The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings ( SPAB) (sometimes known as Anti-Scrape) was founded by William Morris and Philip Webb in [9] His preservation work resulted indirectly in the founding of the National Trust. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales Combined with the inspiration of John Ruskin — in particular his essay "The Nature of Gothic" from the second volume of The Stones of Venice — architecture played an important symbolic part in Morris's approach to socialism. John Ruskin (8 February 1819 &ndash 20 January 1900 is best known for his work as an Art critic, sage writer, and Social critic, but is remembered The Stones of Venice is John Ruskin 's original three-volume masterpiece on Venetian art and architecture, first published from 1851-53

Painting

In the summer of 1856, Morris moved from Oxford to London, abandoned his architectural training, and under the influence of Dante Gabriel Rossetti pursued a new career as an artist. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882 was an English poet Illustrator, painter and Translator. He had limited success; with Burne-Jones and Rossetti he painted the ceilings of the Oxford Union, but the frescoes disintegrated, and he completed one major oil, La belle Iseult, with his new wife as model. His wide range of other interests took over, and he turned his efforts to poetry, embroidery, illumination and other crafts, and the "Red House" project.

Textiles

"Strawberry Thief" printed chintz, 1883.
"Strawberry Thief" printed chintz, 1883.
Detail of "Flowerpot" embroidery, c. 1878.
Detail of "Flowerpot" embroidery, c. 1878.
"Peacock and Dragon" woven wool, 1878.
"Peacock and Dragon" woven wool, 1878.

Furnishing textiles were an important offering of the firm in all its incarnations. By 1883, Morris wrote "Almost all the designs we use for surface decoration, wallpapers, textiles, and the like, I design myself. I have had to learn the theory and to some extent the practice of weaving, dyeing and textile printing: all of which I must admit has given me and still gives me a great deal of enjoyment. This article describes textile weaving For other senses of this word see Weaving (disambiguation. Dyeing is the process of imparting Colours to a textile material in loose fibre Yarn, Cloth or garment form by treatment with a Dye. Textile printing is the process of applying Colour to fabric in definite Patterns or designs " [10]

It is likely that much of Morris's preference for medieval textiles was formed — or crystallised — during his brief apprenticeship with G. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. E. Street. Street had co-written a book on Ecclesiastical Embroidery in 1848, and was a staunch advocate of abandoning faddish woolen work on canvas in favour of more expressive embroidery techniques based on Opus Anglicanum, a surface embroidery technique popular in medieval England. Berlin wool work is a style of Embroidery. It is a subtype of Canvas work. Embroidery is the Art or Handicraft of decorating fabric or other Materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or Opus Anglicanum or English work is a contemporary term for fine Needlework of Medieval England done for ecclesiastical or secular use on Clothing Surface embroidery is any form of Embroidery in which the pattern is worked using decorative stitches and laid threads on top of the foundation fabric or Great Britain during the Middle Ages (from the 5th century withdrawal of Roman forces from the province of Britannia [11]

Embroidery

Main article: Art needlework

Morris taught himself embroidery, working with wool on a frame custom-built from an old example, and once he had mastered the technique he trained his wife Jane and her sister Bessie Burden and others to execute designs to his specifications. Art needlework was a type of surface Embroidery popular in the later Nineteenth century under the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites and the Arts and Embroidery hoops and frames are tools used to keep fabric taut while working Embroidery or other forms of Needlework. "Embroideries of all kinds" were offered through Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. catalogues, and church embroidery became and would remain an important line of business for its successor companies into the twentieth century. [12]

By the 1870s, the company was offering both designs for embroideries and finished works. Following in Street's footsteps, Morris became active in the growing movement to return originality and mastery of technique to embroidery, and was one of the first designers associated with the Royal School of Art Needlework with its aim to "restore Ornamental Needlework for secular purposes to the high place it once held among decorative arts. The Royal School of Needlework is a London hand Embroidery school founded in 1872 "[13]

Printed and woven textiles

Morris was producing repeating patterns for wallpaper as early as 1862, and some six years later he designed his first pattern specifically for fabric printing. Textile printing is the process of applying Colour to fabric in definite Patterns or designs As in so many other areas that interested him, Morris chose to work with the ancient technique of hand woodblock printing in preference to the roller printing which had almost completely replaced it for commercial uses. Woodblock printing on textiles is the process of printing Patterns on Textiles usually of Linen, Cotton or Silk, by means Roller printing, also called cylinder printing or machine printing, on fabrics is a Textile printing process Patented by Thomas Morris also rejected the bright colours of the new aniline dyes and set about to rediscover the nearly-lost techniques for working with natural dyestuffs such as madder and indigo. Aniline, phenylamine or aminobenzene is an Organic compound with the formula C6H7N Madder is the common name of the Plant genus Rubia, the type genus of the madder family Rubiaceae. Indigo dye is Dye with a distinctive blue color (see Indigo) The chemical compound that constitutes the indigo dye is called indigotin [14]

Morris also designed patterns for woven textiles, often producing double-woven furnishing fabrics in which two sets of warps and wefts are interlinked to create complex gradations of colour and texture. Double cloth or double weave (also doublecloth, double-cloth) is a type of woven Textile in which two or more sets of warps In Weaving, the warp is the set of lengthwise Yarns through which the Weft is woven WEFT Champaign 901FM is a Community radio station in Champaign Illinois, founded in 1981 and owned by Prairie Air Inc [15].

Morris's textile designs are still popular today, sometimes recoloured for modern sensibilities, but also in the original colourways.

Tapestry

The Vision of the Holy Grail, 1890
The Vision of the Holy Grail, 1890

Morris long dreamed of weaving tapestries in the medieval manner, which he called "the noblest of the weaving arts. " In September 1879 he finished his first solo effort, a small piece called "Cabbage and Vine". [16][17]. Shortly thereafter Morris trained his employee John Henry Dearle in the technique, setting up a tapestry loom at Queen Square. John Henry Dearle or J H Dearle (1860-1932 was a British Textile and Stained glass Designer trained by Pre-Raphaelite Dearle executed Morris and Co. 's first figural tapestry from a design by Walter Crane in 1883[17]. Walter Crane (15 August 1845 &ndash 14 March 1915 was an English artist and book illustrator

Dearle was soon responsible for the training of all tapestry apprentices in the workshop and partnered with Morris on designing details such as fabric patterns and floral backgrounds for tapestries based on figure drawings or cartoons by Burne-Jones (some of them repurposed from stained glass cartoons)[16] and animal figures by Philip Webb. Suites of tapestries were made as part of whole-house decorating schemes, and tapestries of Burne-Jones angels and scenes from the Arthurian legends were a staple of Morris & Co. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders

The Kelmscott Press

The Nature of Gothic by John Ruskin, printed by Kelmscott Press. First page of text, with typical ornamented border.
The Nature of Gothic by John Ruskin, printed by Kelmscott Press. John Ruskin (8 February 1819 &ndash 20 January 1900 is best known for his work as an Art critic, sage writer, and Social critic, but is remembered First page of text, with typical ornamented border.
William Morris, publisher
William Morris, publisher

In January 1891, Morris founded the Kelmscott Press at Hammersmith, London, in order to produce examples of improved printing and book design. Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press The books were designed to make reference to the methods and techniques he used, which he saw as traditional methods of printing and craftsmanship, in line with the Arts and Crafts movement as a whole, and in response to the prevalence of lithography, particularly those lithographic prints designed to look like woodcut prints. Lithography is a method for Printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface He designed clear typefaces, such as his Roman 'golden' type, which was inspired by that of the early Venetian printer Nicolaus Jenson, and medievalizing decorative borders for books that drew their inspiration from the incunabula of the 15th century and their woodcut illustrations. In Typography, a typeface is a set of one or more Fonts designed with stylistic unity each comprising a coordinated set of Glyphs A typeface usually comprises Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Nicolas Jenson (also spelled Nicolas Janson, Nicholas Jenson, or Nicolaus Jenson; born 1420 in Sommevoire, France, died 1480 For the origins of the technique and non-artistic use see Woodblock printing; for the related technique invented in the 18th century see Wood engraving Selection of paper and ink, and concerns for the overall integration of type and decorations on the page made the Kelmscott Press the most famous of the private presses of the Arts and Crafts movement. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging An ink is a Liquid containing various Pigments and/or Dyes used for coloring a surface to produce an Image, text, or Private press is a term used in the field of Book collecting to describe a Printing press operated as an artistic or craft-based endeavor rather than as a purely It operated until 1898, producing 53 works, comprising 69 volumes, and inspired other private presses, notably the Doves Press. Doves Press was a Private press based in Hammersmith, London, between 1900 and 1916

Among book lovers, the Kelmscott Press edition of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, illustrated by Burne-Jones, is considered one of the most beautiful books ever produced. A fine edition facsimile of the Kelmscott Chaucer was published in 2002 by the Folio Society. The Folio Society is a publisher of fine books based in London

Morris today

Notable collections and house museums

Legacy

The Morris Societies in Britain, the US, and Canada are active in preserving Morris's work and ideas. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

The influence of William Morris lives on in modern interiors and architecture. Companies such as Harvest House and Stickley Furniture continue to sell Arts and Crafts-style pieces. Gustav Stickley ( March 9, 1858 – April 21, 1942) was a furniture maker and Architect as well as the leading spokesperson for the

A fountain located in Bexleyheath town centre, named the Morris Fountain, was created in his honour and unveiled on the anniversary of his birth. Bexleyheath, formerly known as "Bexley New Town" part of the London Borough of Bexley in South East London consists of a suburban development located 12 miles (19 Also in Bexleyheath, Morris' home Red House was opened up to the public by the National Trust in 2004. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales

Literary works

Translations

Gallery

Edward Burne-Jones-designed and Morris & Co.-executed Nativity windows (1882), Trinity Church, Boston. A Dream of John Ball ( 1888) is a novel by English author William Morris about the English peasants' revolt of 1381 and the rebel John Ball A Tale of the House of the Wolfings and All the Kindreds of the Mark is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer News from Nowhere (1890 is a classic work combining Utopian socialism and Soft science fiction written by the artist designer and socialist pioneer The Story of the Glittering Plain is an 1891 Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with The Wood Beyond the World is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world The Well at the World's End is a fantasy novel by the British artist poet and author William Morris. The Water of the Wondrous Isles is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the The Sundering Flood is a Fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element of the The Völsunga saga is a Legendary saga, a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the origin and decline of the Volsung clan Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (28 August 1833 &ndash 17 June 1898 was an English Artist and Designer closely associated with the later Morris Marshall Faulkner & Co (1861-1875 and its successor Morris & Co The Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century For other churches with this name please see Trinity Church (disambiguation Trinity Church in the City of Boston, located in the Back

Edward Burne-Jones-designed and Morris & Co. -executed The Worship of the Shepherds window (1882), Trinity Church, Boston.

Detail from Edward Burne-Jones-designed and Morris & Co. -executed The Worship of the Shepherds window (1882), Trinity Church, Boston.

Acanthus wallpaper, 1875

Panel of ceramic tiles designed by Morris and produced by William De Morgan, 1876

Snakeshead printed textile, 1876

Design for Windrush printed textile, 1881-83

Grafton wallpaper, 1883

Kennet printed textile, 1883

Detail of Woodpecker tapestry, 1885

Detail of design for Bullerswood carpet, 1889

Acanthus embroidered panel, designed Morris, 1890

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ William Morris Society: Merton Abbey
  2. ^ "The words were written for the old French carol tune shortly before 1860 by Morris, who was in Street's office with Edmund Sedding (architect and compiler of carols, brother of the more famous J. William Frend De Morgan ( 16 November, 1839 – 15 January, 1917) was an English potter and tile designer The Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, and American Aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the Eco-socialism, Green socialism or Socialist ecology is an Ideology merging aspects of Marxism, Socialism, Green politics The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of Decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Social Democratic Federation (SDF was established as Britain's first organised socialist Political party by H Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution The Socialist League was an early Revolutionary socialist organisation in the United Kingdom. D. Sedding; he died early, in 1868). Sedding had obtained the tune from the organist at Chartres Cathedral, and he published the words and tune in his Antient Christmas Carols, 1860. " – The Oxford Book of Carols, 1928, p. 277.
  3. ^ Lin Carter, ed. Kingdoms of Sorcery, p 39 Doubleday and Company Garden City, NY, 1976
  4. ^ L. Sprague de Camp, Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy, p 46 ISBN 0-87054-076-9
  5. ^ L. Lyon Sprague de Camp, ( November 27 1907 – November 6 2000) was an American science fiction and fantasy author Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers the Makers of Heroic Fantasy is a 1976 work of collective Biography on the formative authors of the Heroic fantasy Sprague de Camp, Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers, p 40
  6. ^ L. Sprague de Camp, Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers, p 26
  7. ^ Hammond and Scull, The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide, p. The J R R Tolkien Companion and Guide ( 2006) by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull, following their 2005 The Lord of the Rings 816
  8. ^ Hero, Stephen, "Morris and James Joyce," The Journal of William Morris Studies, 6. 3 (Summer 1985): 36, p. 11
  9. ^ Thompson, E. P. (1976). Edward Palmer Thompson ( February 3, 1924, Oxford &ndash August 28, 1993, Worcester) was an English historian William Morris: Romantic to Revolutionary. New York: Pantheon, 228. ISBN 0394733207.  “The Society, which Morris dubbed "Anti-Scrape. . . ” 
  10. ^ Quoted in Waggoner, DianeThe Beauty of Life: William Morris & the Art of Design.
  11. ^ Parry, William Morris Textiles, p. 10-11.
  12. ^ Parry, William Morris Textiles, p. 16-17.
  13. ^ Quoted in Parry, William Morris Textiles, p. 18-19.
  14. ^ Parry, William Morris Textiles, p. 36-46
  15. ^ Waggoner, The Beauty of Life, p. 54
  16. ^ a b Parry, William Morris Textiles, p. 103-104
  17. ^ a b Waggoner, The Beauty of Life, p. 86
  18. ^ News from Waltham Forest
  19. ^ William Morris at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
  20. ^ "Crafts Cornered", Los Angeles Times, 15 December 1999, p. F1
  21. ^ Full text, with illustrations, at Morris Online Edition

Sources

Further reading

External links

Sources

Other

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic