A bust of William Morris in white

Meet the Man

Who was William Morris and what did he do?

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Key works representing the different strands of interest in William Morris’s life as a designer, craftsman, storyteller, poet and political activist.

Did you know that Morris grew up in the very house that is now William Morris Gallery? You can use our interactive map to trace Morris’s footsteps and discover the local places he used to visit.

Example of a William Morris 'Bourne' design printed on cotton and displayed in a cabinet

Gallery highlights

Design for African Marigold printed cotton
Design for African Marigold, 1876 William Morris
The Earthly Paradise, 1896-7 William Morris
The Earthly Paradise, 1896-7 William Morris
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Design for African Marigold, 1876 William Morris

This design for printed cotton showcases Morris’s ability to seamlessly create flowing patterns that capture the spirit and vibrancy of the natural world. The dense, vigorous swirls in this design show Morris at the height of his powers as a textile designer. Can you see that alterations have been made and lines rubbed out? Morris drew, revised and coloured a pattern on a single sheet of paper, believing that a harmonious piece of work should be done in one attempt. This design was printed using woodblocks by Wardle & Co., who were based in the town of Leek, a centre of textile production at the time. In the mid-1870s Morris was deeply involved in producing textiles of all kinds. He experimented with vegetable dyes, commissioning carpets, and creating patterns for silk and cotton fabrics. His fascination with developing techniques led to some sleepless nights and in 1876 Morris wrote to his friend Aglaia Coronio, “I am drawing patterns so fast that last night I dreamt I had to draw a sausage; somehow I had to eat it first, which made me anxious about my digestion: however I have just done quite a pretty pattern for printed work.”

The Earthly Paradise, 1896-7 William Morris

The Earthly Paradise is an epic poem structured as a frame story, composed of a number of different narratives. Morris published the first volume of The Earthly Paradise in 1868 after a ten year break from publishing following a poor reception to his earlier written work ‘The Defence of Guenevere’ in 1857. Despite this, the first volume of The Earthly Paradise was a great success and Morris went on to publish further volumes until 1870. This Kelmscott Press edition is the first in an eight-volume set held at the William Morris Gallery. In Morris’s poem, a group of Norsemen flee a plague in Europe in search of the mythical earthly paradise, where they will never grow old. However, their search is unfruitful and they become ‘shrivelled, bent, and grey’ during their lengthy quest. Eventually they come to a land where the inhabitants still worship the ancient Greek gods. They decide to stay there and each month, the wanderers and the city elders exchange tales. The poem lasts a whole year, comprising twenty-four stories. Through this narrative, Morris draws both upon Greek myths and medieval romance tales, including Icelandic sagas. The Earthly Paradise helped to forge Morris’s reputation as a poet. In fact all of his subsequent books were sold as “by the author of The Earthly Paradise”. Today we might think of William Morris primarily as a designer, but during his lifetime he was known best as a writer.

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A child participating in a craft activity

Learning at the William Morris Gallery

The William Morris Gallery’s public programme strives to make the Gallery a welcoming place for all.

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View of the rear of William Morris Gallery from Lloyd Park

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