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William Morris's Flowers
A beautiful and informative gift book devoted to designs by William Morris that incorporate flowers―a central motif in his oeuvre and one that played a part in the majority of his designs. The leading figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris (1834–1896) is one of the best-known and most popular of all British designers. A passionate advocate of craftsmanship over mass production, he designed a huge variety of objects, but it is his spectacular carpet, fabric, and wallpaper patterns that have continued to capture the popular imagination and influence interior designers and the decorative arts. Around six hundred such designs are attributed to Morris, most of which are based on nature, including trees, plants, and flowers. This beautifully designed, accessibly priced gift book offers a wealth of designs by Morris where flowers are the principal motif. The text traces the origins of Morris’s flower-based his own gardens at the Red House in Kent; sixteenth- and seventeenth-century herbals; illuminated medieval manuscripts; late medieval and Renaissance tapestries; and the range of decorated objects, particularly from the Islamic world, that Morris studied at the South Kensington Museum, now the Victoria and Albert Museum. Authored by Rowan Bain, senior curator at the William Morris Gallery, and lavishly illustrated with over one hundred color illustrations, William Morris’s Flowers will both inform and delight. 120 color illustrations
144 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 23, 2022
A lovely little introduction to William Morris's work via floral designs. Not all of his most notable designs are in here, since the focus of the book is on flowers, but the images are really high-quality. Details like embroidery, weave, and texture are visible in the reproductions, which make it a valuable resource for those of us who can't pop over to the Victoria & Albert at leisure. This edition is lovely to look at, with archival paper and a lovely book design. Recommended for anyone hoping to learn a bit about Morris and his artwork.
July 10, 2020
"I must have unmistakable suggestions of gardens and fields."
This is a really lovely and well informed little compendium if you’re interested in learning about Morris. I borrowed this copy from my boyfriend’s mum, as I’m wanting to experiment with print-making but before I make any irreversible cuts in the lino, I thought I’d seek out some inspiration. Of course this level of skill is beyond my own, but it was definitely inspiring, especially Morris’s incorporation of nature in to his work. There should be suggestions of nature – but not outright imitation. The three pillars of his designs were “beauty, imagination, and order”.
There’s some really interesting information in here too. Morris is famous for his prints and wallpaper primarily, but I never knew he tried and experimented with various mediums and forms until he was good enough to start producing them through his own company e.g. tiles, stained glass, carpets and books. It's quite inspiring for those of us who are still practicing and doubt ourselves. He got involved in the manual processes of printing and dyeing so he knew how his designs would translate on to different materials. He was a proponent of hand-made products and opposed the dehumanization of workers and desecration of the landscape that was inherent in the revered Industrial Revolution. He planted flowers at his factories to make it pleasant and let workers use the gardens to grow vegetables. His wife and daughters also had a lot of input and sway in the business, contributing directly to designs and May Morris, his youngest daughter, became head of the embroidery department at 23 (and in Victorian England too, where women were typically shut out of the workplace) overseeing colour combinations and materials to suit her father’s designs – so I would consider him a supporter of worker's well-being and women’s development.
A gorgeous and informative book that concisely summarizes Morris’s life, business, and the range of his work with high quality prints. I’ve definitely been inspired to start pulling ideas for prints together. It's also something nice and light to flick through in the bath.
This is a really lovely and well informed little compendium if you’re interested in learning about Morris. I borrowed this copy from my boyfriend’s mum, as I’m wanting to experiment with print-making but before I make any irreversible cuts in the lino, I thought I’d seek out some inspiration. Of course this level of skill is beyond my own, but it was definitely inspiring, especially Morris’s incorporation of nature in to his work. There should be suggestions of nature – but not outright imitation. The three pillars of his designs were “beauty, imagination, and order”.
There’s some really interesting information in here too. Morris is famous for his prints and wallpaper primarily, but I never knew he tried and experimented with various mediums and forms until he was good enough to start producing them through his own company e.g. tiles, stained glass, carpets and books. It's quite inspiring for those of us who are still practicing and doubt ourselves. He got involved in the manual processes of printing and dyeing so he knew how his designs would translate on to different materials. He was a proponent of hand-made products and opposed the dehumanization of workers and desecration of the landscape that was inherent in the revered Industrial Revolution. He planted flowers at his factories to make it pleasant and let workers use the gardens to grow vegetables. His wife and daughters also had a lot of input and sway in the business, contributing directly to designs and May Morris, his youngest daughter, became head of the embroidery department at 23 (and in Victorian England too, where women were typically shut out of the workplace) overseeing colour combinations and materials to suit her father’s designs – so I would consider him a supporter of worker's well-being and women’s development.
A gorgeous and informative book that concisely summarizes Morris’s life, business, and the range of his work with high quality prints. I’ve definitely been inspired to start pulling ideas for prints together. It's also something nice and light to flick through in the bath.
November 28, 2022
Bare bones info, but pretty closeups
January 27, 2022
Very well summarized introduction to William Morris
September 9, 2019
Cute little book. Provides a nice overview of William Morris’ work and inspirations. I liked seeing the designs and reading a bit about each of them.
July 14, 2021
Wonderful collection. I just wish the volume had been larger in size, and that the myriad illustrations had been labeled with the sizes of the originals.
August 25, 2024
Lovely easy read with basic history and information on patterns. Nice pictures.
September 18, 2024
William Morris was famous for his floral designs, and this is a very nice intro to them. Its not too in depth, but a nice overview.
May 5, 2025
I discovered new things about William Morris that I didn’t know before, but I would’ve appreciated more information about his designs. But omg I love his designs so much.
September 4, 2026
Some of my favorite designs:
Love Lyrics and Songs with Love Sonnets of Proteus Manuscript
Boarder for The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
The Book of Verse Illuminated manuscript
The bunnies & flowers in Flora tapestry
Maids of Honour embroidered panel
Pink and Rose Wallpaper
Rose furnishing fabric
Pimpernell wallpaper
Golden Lily wallpaper
Cray furnishing fabric
Peony furnishing fabric
Jasmine Trellis furnishing fabric
Bachelor’s Button wallpaper
Blackthorn wallpaper
Daisy wallpaper
Seaweed wallpaper
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews