Designer of the Month: William Morris

Week 2

William Morris was born on March 15, 1834 at Elm House, in Walthamstow, England. At the age of 6, the family moved Woodford Hall, a large country house whose with land adjoining Epping Forest, a unique tract of country little changed since medieval times, where a love of nature was instilled in him at an early age.[1] Morris' romantic temperament was shaped as much by nature as it was his by his schooling. Although Morris did the minimal amount of work to pass his courses, he was a voracious reader; he particularly admired the writings of art critic and patron John Ruskin, whose 1853 book, The Stones of Venice, especially the chapter, "Of the Nature of Gothic," held great significance for the young Morris, further influencing his lifelong fascination with all things medieval.[3]

William Morris, La Belle Iseult, 1858. Oil on canvas. Bequeathed by Miss May Morris 1939. Courtesy of the Tate Gallery, London. 

After finishing school, Morris attempted a career as an architect and gained a position with George Edmund Street, one of the most noted Neo-Gothic architects of the time, but found that he had no aptitude for it; rather, this period would be invaluable for influencing his later work as a designer.[4] A friendship with architect Philip Webb led to Webb designing Red House, a home for Morris and his wife, Jane Burden (the model for Morris' portrait of Guinevere, above). Morris' subsequent design and decoration of the home, a period when Morris discovered what would become a lifelong passion, led him to start his decorative arts firm, Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., in 1861.[5] The subsequent years brought notoriety for both Morris' artistic and design work as well as his writing and poetry.[5]

Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., Wallpaper sample - Fruit (Pomegranate), 1864. Colour woodblock print on paper. Museum no. E.3712-1927. Courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

While Morris lived in London during the majority of the year by this point, in 1871, he acquired Kelmscott Manor House, which would become his permanent country retreat and a frequent source of naturalistic inspiration.[6] In 1874, the design firm was reorganized under Morris' sole direction and renamed Morris & Company, ushering in an an important and extremely productive time in his life.[7]


[1] J.W. Mackail, "William Morris," from The Dictionary of National Biography, Supp. vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1901. 197-203, reproduced by The William Morris Society in the United States, http://www.morrissociety.org/morris/bio-mackail.html (accessed October 13, 2011). 

[2] Ibid.


[3] Linda Parry, "Introduction: Morris - The Man, Childhood to Marriage, 1834-60," from William Morris, (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1996), 14.


[4] Ibid., 14.


[5] Ibid., 16.


[6] J.W. Mackail, "William Morris," from The Dictionary of National Biography, Supp. vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1901. 197-203, reproduced by The William Morris Society in the United States, http://www.morrissociety.org/morris/bio-mackail.html (accessed October 13, 2011).

[7] Linda Parry, "Introduction: Morris - The Man, Red House: The Firm and Literary Fame, 1861-74" from William Morris, (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1996), 19