William Morris

1834 – 1896

English designer, writer and activist. His importance as both a designer and propagandist for the arts cannot easily be overestimated, and his influence has continued to be felt throughout the 20th century. He was a committed Socialist whose aim was that, as in the Middle Ages, art should be for the people and by the people, a view expressed in several of his writings. After abandoning his training as an architect, he studied painting among members of the Pre-Raphaelites. Taking the Medieval craft guild as his model, he believed art derived from a craftsman's pleasure of work was instrumental to the rebirth of art. In 1861, he established "The Firm," a company that designed furniture, wallpaper, and textiles, which included Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown, and Burne-Jones. His concerns that the artist should understand the craft process and to honour the materials chosen was later reflected in the ideas of the Bauhaus. He created a few paintings, but produced primarily stained glass, textiles, wallpapers, and book arts. In 1950 his home at Walthamstow became the William Morris Gallery. The William Morris Society was founded in 1956, and it publishes a biannual journal and quarterly newsletter.

View all works →