William Morris

and his

Red House

Ivanina M.
Mihaylova
Architecture
VFU Chernorizets Hrabar
Project coordinator : D.

CONTENTS :
Who is William Morris?
What is the Red House ?
References.

Who Is William Morris?

Click icon to add picture

William Morris(24 March 1834 3 October 1896) was an
Englishtextile designer,poet,novelist,translator, and socialist
activist. Associated with the BritishArts and Crafts Movement, he
was a major contributor to the revival of traditional Britishtextile
artsand methods of production. His literary contributions helped to
establish the modern fantasygenre, while he played a significant
role in propagating theearly socialist movementin Britain.
Born inWaltham stow,Essex, to a wealthy middle-class family,
Morris came under the strong influence ofmedievalism while
studyingClassicsatOxford University, there joining theBirmingham
Set. After university he trained as an architect, marriedJane Burden,
and developed close friendships with thePreRaphaeliteartistsEdward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel
Rossettiand with theNeo - GothicarchitectPhilip Webb. Webb and
Morris designed a family home, Red House, then in Kent, where the
latter lived from 1859 to 1865, before relocating toBloomsbury,
central London. In 1861, Morris founded adecorative artsfirm with
Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Webb, and others: the Morris, Marshall,
Faulkner & Co. Becoming highly fashionable and much in demand,
the firm profoundly influenced interior decoration throughout

Although retaining a main home in London, from 1871 Morris

rented the rural retreat ofKelmscott Manor,Oxford shire. Greatly
influenced by visits toIceland, with Erikr Magnussonhe
produced a series of English-language translations of Icelandic
Sagas. He also achieved success with the publication of his epic
poems and novels, namelyThe Earthly Paradise(18681870),A
Dream of John Ball(1888), the utopian News from
Nowhere(1890), and the fantasy romance The Well at the
Worlds End(1896). In 1877 he founded theSociety for the
Protection of Ancient Buildingsto campaign against the damage
caused byarchitectural restoration. Embracing Marxismand
influenced byanarchism, in the 1880s Morris became a
committedrevolution socialismactivist; after an involvement in
theSocial Democratic Federation(SDF), he founded theSocialist
Leaguein 1884, but broke with that organization in 1890. In 1891
he founded the Kelmscott Press to publish limitededition,illuminated-style print books, a cause to which he
devoted his final years.
Morris is recognized as one of the most significant cultural figures
ofVictorian Britain; though best known in his lifetime as a poet,
he posthumously became better known for his designs. Founded
in 1955, theWilliam Morris Socialistis devoted to his legacy,

What is the Red

House ?

Red Houseis a significantArts and Craftsbuilding located in the town

ofBexleyheathinSoutheast London,England. Co-designed in 1859 by
the architectPhilip Webband the designerWilliam Morris, it was
created to serve as a family home for the latter, with construction
being completed in 1860. It is recognized as one of the most important
examples of nineteenth-century British architecture still extant.
Following an education at theUniversity of Oxford, Morris decided to
construct a rural house for him and his new wife, Jane Morris, within a
commuting distance of central London. Purchasing a plot of land in
what at the time was the village of Upton inKent, he employed his
friend Webb to help him design and construct the house, financing the
project with money inherited from his wealthy family. Morris was deeply
influenced byMedievalismand Medieval-inspiredNeo-Ghoticstyles are
reflected throughout the building's design. It was constructed using
Morris' ethos on craftsmanship and artisan skills, thus reflecting an
early example of what came to be known as the Arts and Crafts
movement.

A number of Morris' friends visited, most notably thePreRaphaelitepaintersEdward Burne-JonesandDante Gabriel

Rosette, both of whom aided him in decorating the House;
various Burne-Jones wall murals remain. While at Red
House, Morris was involved in the formation of his design
company,Morris, Marshal, Faulkner & Co., and embarked
on his earliest wallpaper designs. It was also here that his
two daughters, Jenny and May, were born. Although
initially intending to live there for the rest of his life, Morris
found that it proved too expensive to run and did not suit
his lifestyle, moving out and selling the property after five
years.
Red House remained a private residence for various
individuals from 1866 to 2002, during which various
alterations were made to the interior design. From 1952 to
1999 the architectEdward Hollambylived at the House,
initiating attempts at preservation and establishing the
Friends of Red House charity in 1998. The House was
purchased forThe National Trustin 2003, who have since

REFERENCES :
www.wikipedia.org
www.britannica.com
www.william-morris.com
www.morrissociety.org
One hundred houses from one hundred
architects general editor : Gennaro
Postiglione

Thank you
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