William Morris

1. Snakeshead, 1876. 

2. Brer Rabbit, 1882

3. Tree of Life tapestry

William Morris was a real heavy hitter. He wrote poetry, prose,  tranlated medieval texts, did embroidery, textile design (and emphasized hand-craftsmanship), and later on, was into calligraphy and illuminated manuscript. 

I'm a huge sucker for good textile/tapestry/wallpaper designs (I think my next post will be on CFA Voysey), and Morris is the real deal. I like that he thought hand-craftsmanship was important. All the stuff you see is hand block-printed. In today's terms, it'd be the difference between say, a mass-produced, off-set litho of some image, and a lovingly printed silk screen print. They may be the same image, but one will breathe, and the other won't. 

And the designs themselves set themselves apart from the mass-appeal Victorian wallpaper I'm generally familiar with. The focus on direct observation from nature combined with a patient, dilligent hand really make for striking decorative art.