William Morris and His Impact on the Decorative Arts of the Victorian Era

William Morris was an English writer, artist, architect, furniture and textile designer, and socialist. He lived during the Victorian era of Great Britain.

Morris was born on March 24, 1834 at Walthamstow near London. He was educated at Marlborough and Oxford. He apprenticed under Gothic revival architect G. E. Street and was influenced by the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites, John Ruskin's essay "The Nature of Gothic," Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, and the poetry of Tennyson. Early in his career, Morris founded the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine, where he published his own poetry as well as his theories in the decorative arts.

It can be said that Morris's designing career began with his decoration of the Red House in Bexleyheath, which was built for Morris and his wife Jane by Philip Webb. Subsequently in 1861, in partnership with painter Edward Burne-Jones, poet/artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and others, Morris founded a design firm called Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., later shortened to just Morris & Co. The firm had a profound impact on the decoration of both houses and churches.

Morris became well known for his design of wallpapers and textiles, which featured repeating patterns and inspiration drawn from the natural world. Morris flatly rejected the gaudy, overly ornate, machine-made furniture and other decorative products of the era. He advocated affordable, hand-crafted furniture, made by artisans who deserved the status of artists. Looking to nature as a guide, he called for pure, simple forms, high-quality materials, and outstanding craftsmanship. His furniture designs are characterized by exposed joinery and spare ornamentation.

Morris's theories were fundamental for the development of the Arts and Crafts Style in the latter part of the Victorian era, which made its way subsequently to the United States.

One particular piece of furniture famously associated with Morris's firm is the Morris Chair. It was a pioneering version of the modern recliner. It had a reclining back, rather high armrests, and notches to adjust the angle of reclining. It was sold in the UK and in the United States. Later versions of Morris's Victorian chair were designed and manufactured by Liberty and Co., Gustav Stickley, and others.

William Morris was one of the giants of Victorian era decorative arts. It's impossible to be a serious collector or dealer of antique Victorian furniture without being familiar with William Morris and his enormous influence on later furniture design. Morris died October 3, 1896.