Last month I visited a home store I’d never been in before
and it got me travelling down a road of high curiosity and interest. The store
carried items from the famous English artist William Morris (1834-1896) with
his designs appearing on bedding, shower curtains, bath mats, pillows. The next
time I went back I found more Morris & Co decorations on cloth napkins, pillow
shams, and even a desk chair.
In 2005 when a local museum held a Pre-Raphaelite exhibit I
saw it twice because I was already interested in their style. At that time I knew
William Morris was on the edge of the group but I wasn’t particularly interested
in him since he wasn’t known for his paintings.
But now I’m on a quest to learn more. I watched
a YouTube documentary that described him as a polymath, “a person of
encyclopedic learning” according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. Internet searches found several other establishments carry items of his designs, some
put out officially by his own Morris & Co or some by other companies. Most objects are only available online
and are not available in stores.
Today I picked up a very thick library book about his art and
his life. Morris did designs for furniture, textiles, wallpapers, ceramics, metal and
sculptures, wood blocks, stained glass. He was also a writer, poet, and political
activist.
