The personal vision of William Morris, born in England in 1834, continues to inform and inspire today. Scholar and writer, designer of textiles, furniture and stained glass, he was a visionary whose ‘organic’ aesthetic honored nature and natural themes in his artistry. He was a founding member of The Pre-Raphaelite movement, equally passionate about medieval culture, as he was socialist politics. A life long love of all things mythic, he traveled in Iceland in 1865 to study myths and traditions that later inspired artistic and literary achievements such as the founding of Kelmscott Press. His design work is credited with inspiring both the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. Our M29 image is based on a William Morris tapestry design depicting the leaves of the Acanthus plant.
