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The Orchard
William Morris, born 1834 - died 1896 - Enlarge image
The Orchard; The Seasons
- Object:
Tapestry
- Place of origin:
Great Britain, UK (made)
- Date:
1890 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
William Morris, born 1834 - died 1896 (designer)
John Henry Dearle, born 1860 - died 1932 (designer)
Morris & Co. (maker) - Materials and Techniques:
Tapestry woven in wool, silk and mohair on a cotton warp
- Museum number:
154-1898
- Gallery location:
In Storage
The Orchard was William Morris' first attempt to design a figurative tapestry, responding to the wishes of rich clients to have unique works of art by him, and following on from the success of his firm of Morris & Co in producing fine tapestries designed by the artist Edward Burne-Jones. It depicts an array of fruit trees with their harvest ready for gathering, including apples, grapes, olives and pears, behind a row of figures in medieval-style dress.
The figures are holding a scrolling banner with a poem composed by Morris, written especially for the tapestry, and celebrating the bounty of the orchard, and the rhythm of the seasons.
