Davies, Paul
William Morris (1834-1896) - 3 January 2020 - London EMAP Publishing Limited 2020
William R Lethaby described Morris as ‘the greatest pattern designer we have ever had or can ever have’. In retrospect, this effusive praise from his disciple appears a little over-specific for, while Morris wasn’t good at architecture and Lethaby was, it was over architecture that Morris wielded the greatest influence.
‘The past is not dead, it is living in us, and will be alive in the future which we are now helping to make’
In the production of over 600 designs, Morris proved himself very good at a great many things – in terms of craft technique, these included drawing, oil painting, mural decoration, calligraphy, illumination, stained glass, embroidery, dyeing, tapestry, weaving, typography and bookmaking. But in the publication of reams of poetry, essays, fantasy and translation (including Icelandic sagas), he became acknowledged as Britain’s fifth-best poet. With his endless proclamations, pamphleteering and general rabble-rousing, he became a founding father of British socialism, pioneering the trail away from a domestic artistic milieu of louche privilege to that of challenging revolutionary. He may have only built one house (that designed by Philip Webb) but, over time, he was responsible for outfitting many thousands and saving thousands more – he founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
ARCHITECTURE GENERAL (AR-GEN)
William Morris (1834-1896) - 3 January 2020 - London EMAP Publishing Limited 2020
William R Lethaby described Morris as ‘the greatest pattern designer we have ever had or can ever have’. In retrospect, this effusive praise from his disciple appears a little over-specific for, while Morris wasn’t good at architecture and Lethaby was, it was over architecture that Morris wielded the greatest influence.
‘The past is not dead, it is living in us, and will be alive in the future which we are now helping to make’
In the production of over 600 designs, Morris proved himself very good at a great many things – in terms of craft technique, these included drawing, oil painting, mural decoration, calligraphy, illumination, stained glass, embroidery, dyeing, tapestry, weaving, typography and bookmaking. But in the publication of reams of poetry, essays, fantasy and translation (including Icelandic sagas), he became acknowledged as Britain’s fifth-best poet. With his endless proclamations, pamphleteering and general rabble-rousing, he became a founding father of British socialism, pioneering the trail away from a domestic artistic milieu of louche privilege to that of challenging revolutionary. He may have only built one house (that designed by Philip Webb) but, over time, he was responsible for outfitting many thousands and saving thousands more – he founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
ARCHITECTURE GENERAL (AR-GEN)