The Work of William Morris

by Paul Thompson

Extensively revised, this third edition of The Work of William Morris encompasses the results of recent scholarship, including in particular the new perspectives of feminist scholarship. Thompson examines how Morris's concerns anticipated those of present day environmentalists and explores in
full detail Morris's views on child-centered education. Bringing to life his magnetic personality, this biography of one of the original socialists offers insight into Morris's campaign to bring art back to the people.

Genres: Biography

Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Lissa Notreallywolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a 1977 version of this, probably a reprint. What I found of interest was that Morris divided the history of pattern on three stages, the Egyptian which was priest dominated, symbolic and non-naturalistic; Greece was intellectual formal and natural, the Roman Militaristic, empty ornamentation, formal, Byzantine imaginative and Medieval.
He respected material and meaning in pattern, not purely abstract designs.
Other contemporary designers: Pugin, Owne Jones, Christopher Dresser, J.H. Dearle Brice Talbert EW Godwin Walter Crane and J.D. Sedding. Crane and Sedding were involved in renaissance Scrollwork. Godwin and Talbert were influential in Japanese revival.
Chapter five on Patterns in Textiles is strongly devoted to dying .