William Morris Designs, Art and More Collected by Galaudet Gallery

William Morris

Designs, Art and More Collected by Galaudet Gallery

Galaudet Gallery Published by Galaudet Gallery Publishing 2223 West Hubbard Chicago, Illinois 60612 & 618 South Farwell Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701 715-513-9994 galaudetgallery@gmail.com @ http://galaudetgallery.wix.com/ggllc Galaudet Gallery copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved Organized and Designed by Vicki Milewski Michael Milewski

William Morris

Designs, Art and More Collected by Galaudet Gallery

A Note We collected these wonderful designs and artworks as part of our research into the Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris and requests from our customers. We hope you enjoy looking through these wonderful pieces and learning a little more about William Morris and his prodigious output of such high quality.

Please stop into Galaudet Gallery at 618 South Farwell Street in downtown Eau Claire Wisconsin to see more beauty in the Queen Anne Revival Victorian Mansion that is the space we use for holding 4 different art exhibits each year.

We seek a renewal of an Arts and Crafts ideology with a 21st Century sensibility encouraging the creation, collection, and appreciation of art, craft and what is coming next as well as the continuation of hand made art and crafts of the highest quality.

Enjoy and we look forward to seeing you in the galleries.

Mike Milewski And Vicki Milewski The sibling gallerists of Galaudet Gallery

La belle Iseult La belle Iseult by William Morris 1858 painting

On the right is the original Design for Flora (1885, watercolor by Morris and Burne-Jones) [Pierpont Morgan Library]. On the left is the tapestry which was made from this original artwork

The Flora tapestry was created in 1885 by the wonderful combination of William Morris who was responsible for the background and Edward BurneJones who designed the figure. It was woven by Morris & Co at their Merton Abbey workshops and the original is now in the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. Here we present a detail of it, without the verse and border.

Angel Playing a medieval flute by Edward Burne-Jones

The Heart of the Rose by William Morris Edward Burne-Jones Burne-Jones would return to the idea of the Heart of the Rose many times

Romaunt of the Rose: The Heart of the Rose by Morris and Company 1901

The Failure of Sir Gawaine: Sir Gawaine and Sir Unwine at the Ruined Chapel by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1895 - 1896 Part of the The Quest for the Holy Grail.

The Vision by William Morris and Edward Burke-Jones 1895 The Vision is a detail from one of a series of tapestries known as The Quest for the Holy Grail. There are six tapestries in the series and they each illustrate a detail from the Legend of King Arthur and his quest for the Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus and his disciples drank from at the last supper.. The tapestry is part of The Attainment and was the last in the series. It depicts three angels holding symbols of Christ’s passion including the bleeding lance of Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced his side on the cross. Above the Holy Grail is the biblical Pentecostal wind, symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Adoration of the Magi by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones designed 1888 - woven 1894

The Woodpecker by William Morris

The Woodpecker by William Morris is very often seen in a special light by many Morris fans, as it was a decorative piece that was entirely designed by him. Very often Morris tapestries were joint efforts, particularly with his lifelong collaborator Edward Burne-Jones, with Morris usually designing the profuse background foliage while Jones designed the foreground figures.

The tapestry is typical Morris; however, perhaps seen by some as somewhat untypical for Morris, the subject is actually one based on a classical legend from the Mediterranean, rather than that of an English Arthurian romance.

Morris produced a relatively modest amount of classically inspired design and decorative work, including a relatively high percentage of tapestry work including the likes of Flora and Pomona.

The story that inspired The Woodpecker tapestry comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses and deals with an ancient Italian King Picus, who was turned into a woodpecker by the sorceress Circe, as she was jealous of Picus faithful love for his wife. An interesting subject for a man who was troubled throughout his life by his wife's flagrantly public affairs first with Dante Gabriel Rossetti and then later with Wilfred Scawen Blunt.

The tapestry has woven into it the verse: i once a king and chief, now am the tree-barks thief, ever twixt trunk and leaf, chasing the prey.

Interestingly, if the reference to Ovid and the ancient classical world was unknown, then the tapestry would be seen to reflect an idyllic English country scene and would be placed within the framework of much of Morris English inspired work. However, perhaps the large acanthus style leaves that twist themselves around the central tree are a reference to the composition’s classical Mediterranean origin.

“Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.�

William Morris 1880

Design for Trellis wallpaper by William Morris 1862

The Strawberry Thief (1883) by William Morris Morris watched this strawberry thief and promptly created one of his most lasting designs which is still a popular textile. It comes in many different background colors and hues but the design and the block which print it remain the same.

Strawberry Thief printed textile designed by William Morris. 1883 It takes as its subject the thrushes that Morris found stealing fruit in his kitchen garden of his countryside home, Kelmscott Manor, in Oxfordshire. This print has the indigo background which Morris took extra effort to create with natural dyes before turning completely to synthetics later in his life.

Tawny Thrush by John James Audubon (1785-1851) Morris looked to other artists like Audubon to assist in the creation of his designs.

Larkspur by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1872

Jasmine by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1872

Tulip and Willow by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1873

Pimpernel by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1876

Snakehead by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1876

Brother Rabbit chintz (1872) by William Morris at the William Morris Gallery

Brer Rabbit by William Morris 1880 – 1881 Brer Rabbit was another design that is as popular today as it was during Morris’ time and its design is an update to the Brother Rabbit one which proceeded this. Comparing the two shows the evolution of Morris art of creating textiles

Honeysuckle Design by Morris & Company, 1876

Honeysuckle by William Morris 1883

St. James by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1880

St. James by William Morris and Edward Burnes-Jones 1880

Evenlode (cotton) by William Morris 1883

Kennet (cotton) by William Morris 1883

Cray by William Morris (with pink flowers) 1884

Cray by William Morris (with orange flowers) 1884

Wey (printed cotton) by William Morris 1883

Wandle by William Morris 1884

Willow by William Morris 1887

Owl by William Morris 1895

Angeli Laudantes by Morris and Company 1894

The Peacock by Morris and Company 1894

Two Peacocks by Morris and Company 1894

Pelican by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones

A Wooden Pattern for Textile Printing from William Morris's Company