WILLIAM MORRIS (BRITISH 1834–1896)

WILLIAM MORRIS (BRITISH 1834–1896)
'VINE AND ACANTHUS' EMBROIDERED PANEL, CIRCA 1890
coloured silks reserved on an unbleached linen ground, and lined with original printed cotton ‘Bird’ fabric by Morris & Co., later mounted and framed
169.2cm x 233cm (66 ½in x 99 ¾in) (frame size 181cm x 246cm (71 ¼in x 96 ¾in))
John and Joan Collins, Portobello Road, LondonAdrian J. Tilbrook and Dan Klein, LondonJohn Scott Collection
Exhibited: The Fine Art Society, London Architect-Designers from Pugin to Voysey; The John Scott Collection , 3rd-25th June 2015, no. 84Literature: Morris & Company: Arras Tapestries, Wall-Papers, Fabrics, Furniture, Upholstery and Decoration, catalogue, circa 1910-12, p.24, where an identical design illustrated (half)Morris B. J. Victorian Embroidery: An Authoritative Guide, New York 1962, p.109Parry L. (ed.) William Morris, London 1996, p. 384The original design and cartoon for the tapestry are in the V&A; collection, accession numbers E.45-1940 and E.2472-1932Morris’ fascination with textiles was lifelong. This design is likely to have been partially inspired by the 16th century French and Flemish verdure tapestries he admired at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest as a child. In 1854 he visited France and was exposed to medieval ecclesiastical designs as well as observing weaving techniques in the Parisian Gobelins Works. As was characteristic of Morris, he personally sought to understand the physical making process, reportedly picking apart pieces to ‘puzzle out the tricks of the loom’.Despite his early enthusiasm for the medium, it was not until 1877 that Morris made his first official foray into tapestry weaving with ‘Acanthus and Vine’. This venture was once more prompted by his desire to understand Arras tapestry, studying it through making. Morris accordingly set up a haute-lisse, or horizontal loom, in his Kelmscott Manor bedroom, and spent 516 hours from May-September of 1879 completing it. This was not a seamless process, Morris himself renaming the piece ‘Cabbage and Vine’ following a distortion of the Acanthus leaves during production! The finished piece remains in the collection at Kelmscott, later being transposed to embroidery form.In the decades preceding the making of ‘Acanthus and Vine’, the status of embroidery as an artform was much diminished. The craft required a minimal and shrinking skill level, comprising repetitive stitch types and designs copied from kits. The founding of the Royal School of Art Needlework in 1872 aimed to improve the reputation of secular embroidery, with William Morris as one of the principle supporting designers. Morris’ opinions towards textiles foreshadowed principles of the Arts & Crafts Society, not established for another thirty years. He supported a return to traditional techniques, reacting against the stagnant designs and garish colour palettes of contemporary pieces. In the years prior to the making of ‘Acanthus and Vine’, not only did he become sole manager and proprietor of Morris & Co., but his work was influenced firstly by the opening of the South Kensington Museum (later the V&A;) and secondly his association with dyer Thomas Wardle. The former saw him inspired by sources as various as Indian textiles and traditional crewelwork, whilst the latter enabled him to work closely with a practitioner experienced in natural vegetable dyes. In ‘Acanthus and Vine’ sweeping arches of foliage envelope thoughtfully placed pairs of birds and plump bunches of grapes, all showcasing Morris’ love of gardening and his ornithological fascination. The colours are naturalistic, and the stitches lie flat to the fabric, allowing the subject to shine, rather than the materials themselves. For Morris, design elements had to serve a purpose within the pattern, birds needing to relate to the foliage rather than being a dominating feature. Thus, this embroidery retains the realism Morris prized, and his sentiment that ornamental art should primarily remind us of ‘the outward face of the earth’.