A free virtual exhibition of 15 wallpaper designs by William Morris that you can walk through in your browser, on desktop or phone, with nothing to install. The room brings together Trellis, one of his very first wallpapers, and Willow Bough, one of his best-loved patterns, alongside Daisy, Pink and Rose and a hand-painted design drawing.
About William Morris
William Morris (1834–1896) was an English designer, poet, novelist and social reformer, and the central figure of the Arts and Crafts movement. Disillusioned with the poor quality of mass-produced Victorian goods, he co-founded the decorating firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. in 1861 with friends including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones and the architect Philip Webb. Reorganized under his sole control in 1875 as Morris & Co., the firm produced furniture, stained glass, tapestries, textiles and wallpapers. Morris designed around fifty wallpapers himself, drawing on English gardens, hedgerows and medieval art, and insisted on traditional methods such as hand block printing and natural dyes. In 1891 he founded the Kelmscott Press, whose richly decorated books, above all the Kelmscott Chaucer of 1896, revived fine printing. His belief that useful things should also be beautiful still influences design today.
Highlights in this room
Trellis
One of Morris's first wallpaper designs, inspired by the rose trellis in the garden of his home, Red House. A simple grid of stems carries climbing roses, and the birds were drawn by his friend Philip Webb. Its naive, open structure is very different from the dense patterns of his later years.
Daisy
Small clumps of daisies and other wild flowers are scattered across a plain ground, as in a medieval meadow. The design is flat and almost childlike, a deliberate rejection of the heavy, illusionistic wallpapers then in fashion. It became one of the firm's most enduring patterns.
Willow Bough
Willow branches wave diagonally across the whole surface, their leaves overlapping in soft greens. Morris drew on the willows by the river near his country home, Kelmscott Manor. The pattern feels natural and unforced, yet it repeats with complete regularity.
Design for Wreath wallpaper
This sheet in gouache and pencil shows a pattern before it reached the printer. You can see Morris working out the forms by hand, often completing only enough of the design to define the repeat. It offers a rare look at the drawing behind the finished product.
How to enjoy the exhibition
- Find the repeat. Every wallpaper is built from a single unit that tiles in all directions. Walk up to a work and try to locate where the pattern begins again.
- Look for the hidden structure. Many designs rest on an invisible grid, diagonal or meandering stem. Once you see it, the whole pattern makes sense.
- Notice the block-printed color. Each color was printed from its own carved wooden block, so tones sit side by side in flat layers, sometimes with slight variations from hand printing.
- Watch the patterns grow denser. Click a work to read its label and date, then compare the open designs of the 1860s with the rich, layered patterns of the 1880s.
- Step back. A wallpaper is meant to be seen across a whole wall. Viewing from a distance shows how the rhythm works at room scale.
If you enjoy this room, continue to the Aubrey Beardsley virtual exhibition, whose Morte d'Arthur borders were made in the wake of Morris's Kelmscott books, or read what a virtual gallery is.
Create a room like this for your own work
This room was built with Xibit360, the same tool any artist can use. You can light and frame each work individually, set the mood with themes and layouts, exhibit video works alongside still images, and embed the finished room on your own website. A textile designer or pattern maker can show a collection of prints together, with notes on each colorway. It is free to start, and upgrades are one-time purchases, with no subscription.
Know an artist who should see this?
If you know a designer, pattern maker or textile artist whose work deserves a space like this, send them this page. They can walk through the room above to see what is possible, and picture their own work on the walls.
FAQ
Is the Morris virtual exhibition free?
Yes. The exhibition is free to visit in your browser, and you can walk through all 15 works at your own pace.
Can I view it on my phone?
Yes. The same walkable space works on desktop and on phone, so you can explore the room wherever you are.
Is Strawberry Thief in the exhibition?
No. Strawberry Thief is a printed textile, and this room focuses on Morris's wallpapers, from early designs such as Trellis and Daisy to later patterns such as Willow Bough.