William Morris

March 24, 1834 – October 3, 1896

William Morris was an English artist of many passions. These passions included textile design, writing, socialism, and stained glass, among many others. He was part of the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris began attending Exeter College, Oxford, in 1852 where he met another undergraduate and eventually his life-long friend and collaborator Edward Burne-Jones.

Morris founded a design firm in 1861. One of his two partners in this firm was Edward Burne-Jones (the second partner was a poet and artist named Dante Gabriel Rossetti.) This firm influenced the designs in churches and homes into the early 20th century.

Although Morris was mainly a textile artist, his designs showed in churches and homes such as the “Red house” in Bexleyheath. This house was architecturally designed for him and included some of his designs such as ceiling paintings, walls hangings, and furniture paintings. This house also included wall paintings and stained – and painted glass by Burne-Jones.

In 1861, Morris was also a partner in founding the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, & Co. firm. Other artists involved in the partnership were Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown and Philip Webb, also Charles Faulkner and Peter Paul Marshall. The main arts that the firm would undertake were metal work, carving, paper hangings, chintzes, carpets, and stained glass. The decoration of churches had always been a must by the firm.

Some of Morris’ stained glass included works done by Morris & Co. For example, “David’s Charge to Solomon” (1882), a stained glass window designed by Morris and Burne-Jones, in Trinity Church Boston, Massachusetts. They were also involved in the “Nativity” windows (1882), designed by Burne-Jones and executed by Morris & Co. in the Trinity Church Boston. And finally, there was also the “Worship of the Shepherds” window (1882) in Trinity Church Boston, also designed by Burne-Jones and executed by Morris & Co.

William Morris was a man of many great artistic talents. His firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. began the new era in Western art. He has become an artist who has set the stage for many different art forms.

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