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William Morris

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Believed books should be readable and beautiful ... typeface and includes ornamental borders (Morris) and wood-cut illustrations (Burne-Jones) ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: William Morris


1
William Morris
  • The Kelmscott Chaucer
  • The Golden Legend

2
Pre-Raphaelite Art
  • Characterized by naturalism (love of nature),
    wealth of detail, deliberate medievalism (choice
    of subject), morbidity/ melancholy subjects,
    ornamental/ decorative function
  • A definite, harmonious, conscious, beauty It
    ought to be possible for a painting to be a part
    of a beautiful whole in a room or church or hall.

3
William Morris (1834-1896)
  • Poet, artist, printer, typographer, decorator,
    Socialist--- a man of many talents
  • Morris always had an affinity for nature, a vital
    component to pre-Raphaelite art

4
William Morris (1834-1896)
  • Attended Marlborough School and Exter College at
    Oxford
  • Worked with Dante Rosetti and Burne-Jones, among
    others, creating art in 19th century England
  • Formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood or PRB

5
William Morris --- Oxford Years
  • Brotherhood was greatly influenced by the writing
    of John Ruskin
  • Like Ruskin, Morris believed in Antimodernism
  • Believed only great art came before 16th century,
    looked to earlier times for inspiration
  • Saw Modernist thinkers as servants to the
    industrial age

6
William Morris --- Oxford Years
  • A creator contributor of Oxford and Cambridge
    Magazine
  • Published Defense of Guenevere and Other Poems
    in 1958

7
William Morris --- Career Move
  • When Victorian Architect Philip Webb constructed
    The Red House in Bexley, he was unable to find
    any furniture to his liking
  • As result, Morris and friends (Rossetti,
    Burne-Jones, Webb) founded Morris, Marshall,
    Faulkner Co.

8
William Morris --- Career Move
  • M, M, F created furniture, tapestries,
    wallpaper, stained glass, and other interior
    decorative elements
  • This company sparked Morris interest in
    architecture and established his career in the
    field
  • Would later found The Society for the Protection
    of Ancient Buildings in 1877

9
William Morris --- Typographer?
  • Towards the end of his life, Morris became
    involved in printmaking and book design
  • Uncertain as to why exactly he took an interest
    in this field but Morris was thought to have been
    inspired by a printing lecture given by Emery
    Walker

10
William Morris --- Typographer
  • Founded the Kelmscott Press in spring of 1891, a
    privately owned printing press dedicated to
    printing the ideal book
  • Came up with several revolutionary typefaces
    which he used to print his books --- Golden
    Roman, Gothic Troy, Chaucer typfaces

11
William Morris --- Typographer?
  • Believed books should be readable and beautiful
  • To do so, used an iron handpress, unbleachced
    handmade paper, high-quality vellum, and bindings
    from Henry Band

12
William Morris Great Works
  • Printed work characterized by darker, more
    massive typefaces, less spacing between words and
    lines, complementary illustrations, ornaments,
    borders, and initials
  • Elements can be seen in both The Golden Legend
    and Chaucer

13
The Golden Legend
  • Printed at Kelmscott Press in 1892, The Golden
    Legend was the 7th book Morris printed
  • 13th manuscript about the lives of saints
  • Was supposed to be the 1st book published at
    Kelmscott (named after the typeface Golden) but
    was actually the 7th
  • The Golden Legend is a display of the Golden
    typeface and includes ornamental borders (Morris)
    and wood-cut illustrations (Burne-Jones)

14
The Golden Legend
15
The Kelmscott Chaucer
  • Widely regarded as the greatest fine press book
    ever produced, particularly in its text-on-vellum
    incarnation.
  • Morris print of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
    somewhat resembles what Morris had in mind when
    he strived to create the ideal book

16
The Kelmscott Chaucer
  • Book includes illustrations, ornamentation, and
    the Chaucer typeface, appropriately named after
    the book itself
  • Produced in 1891
  • Morris died in late 1896, just a few months after
    Burne-Jones completed the illustrations and
    finished the book

17
The Kelmscott Chaucer
18
The Legacy of William Morris
  • William Morris and His Circle is an exhibit at
    the Harry Ransom Center on The University of
    Texas campus
  • The exhibit contains over 75 pieces --- Morris
    manuscripts and other Kelmscott Press
    publications
  • The exhibit also displays the work of other PRB
    members like Rosetti and Burne-Jones
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