- One of the greatest legacies
of the Arts and Crafts movement is the pattern and design
of textiles, wallpaper, and printed material.
William Morris's true genius lay in his ability
to manipulate natural forms,
and create harmony and unity in pattern.
Many of his pattern designs for wallpaper
and textiles have never been out of production,
and are as popular today as they were over a century ago.
Morris's patterns are inspired by an intimate knowledge
of natural forms he discovered
by drawing vines, flowers, and branches.
He combined this deep understanding of the elements
of nature with a stylized reference to Medieval forms.
Morris began by taking natural material
that he collected in the woods and fields.
After meticulously sketching them,
he applied stylistic themes.
He incorporated his desire to be true to organic form
and integrate the outside with the inside.
By basing these patterns on the actual plants
outside his house, he could reinforce the idea of unity.
The patterns are titled with the names
of the flowers they depicted:
Chrysanthemum, Jasmine, and Sunflower.
Morris's first attempt at wallpaper design was based
on roses growing over his trellises at the Red House.
He added a Medieval influence
from the ornamental decoration
on illuminated manuscripts and tapestries.
The architect of Red House, Philip Webb,
added the birds and insects.
Like all of Morris's projects, existing techniques
for wallpaper production didn't meet his standards,
so he spent two years experimenting
with different processes and inks.
Although he strove for the handmade,
he recognized the limitations.
Morris advised other Arts and Crafts designers working
with wallpaper and textiles
to accept their mechanical nature frankly
to avoid falling into the trap of trying
to make your paper look as if it were painted by hand.
But he encouraged intricacy and elaboration,
so that the repeat of a pattern itself was disguised.
Pattern also found its way into other media.
Embroidery had become a fashionable hobby
for women in the second part of the 19th century.
Upper class women, called the picnic class, were encouraged
to take up embroidery to make their homes more beautiful.
Women artists of the Arts and Crafts movement
took this hobby and elevated it
into a masterful craft and fine art.
Morris's daughter May assisted him
in the design of embroidered patterns,
and eventually took over the management
of all embroidery production at Morris & Co.
The Irish designer Phoebe Traquair led this field.
Traquair favored allegorical patterns taken
from English legends.
Her attention to detail allowed her to paint with thread.
These were exhibited in St. Louis
at the international exhibition,
and were one of the influences
that sparked the Arts and Crafts movement
in the United States.
As the movement evolved, designers applied pattern
to a wider range of materials, such as carpeting,
woven textiles, stained glass, and objects.
The idea of pattern was not to decorate
with meaningless ornament.
It was a way to incorporate the beauty
of nature and craft in any environment.