Trellis
Wallpaper
11/1862 (designed (pattern)), 01/02/1864 (design registered), 1864 (manufactured)
11/1862 (designed (pattern)), 01/02/1864 (design registered), 1864 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
In Britain, paper printed with patterns has been used for decorating walls since the 16th century. By the late 19th century wallpapers were widely used by all classes, in homes and also in public buildings. William Morris designed a number of wallpapers, all with repeating patterns based on natural forms.
Places
Morris was prompted to design his own wallpapers because he could not find any that he liked well enough to use in his own home. He designed 'Trellis' shortly after moving to the Red House. The gardens at the Red House were arranged in a Medieval style, with roses growing over trellises which enclosed the flowerbeds. This wallpaper pattern was inspired by these trellises.
Design & Designing
'Trellis' is typical of Morris's early wallpaper patterns. It combines simple bird and flower forms with a plain coloured background. It is a compromise between the boldly coloured pictorial patterns which were then popular with the general public, and the formalised flat patterns in muted tones which were promoted by the design reform movement. Philip Webb, the architect of the Red House, drew the birds for this wallpaper design.
In Britain, paper printed with patterns has been used for decorating walls since the 16th century. By the late 19th century wallpapers were widely used by all classes, in homes and also in public buildings. William Morris designed a number of wallpapers, all with repeating patterns based on natural forms.
Places
Morris was prompted to design his own wallpapers because he could not find any that he liked well enough to use in his own home. He designed 'Trellis' shortly after moving to the Red House. The gardens at the Red House were arranged in a Medieval style, with roses growing over trellises which enclosed the flowerbeds. This wallpaper pattern was inspired by these trellises.
Design & Designing
'Trellis' is typical of Morris's early wallpaper patterns. It combines simple bird and flower forms with a plain coloured background. It is a compromise between the boldly coloured pictorial patterns which were then popular with the general public, and the formalised flat patterns in muted tones which were promoted by the design reform movement. Philip Webb, the architect of the Red House, drew the birds for this wallpaper design.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Trellis (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | block-printed in distemper colours, on paper |
| Brief description | 'Trellis' wallpaper pattern, a flowering thorned rose bush growing on a wooden trellis, with birds and flying insects; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; The first paper designed by William Morris, but the third to be issued; The birds were designed by Philip Webb; Part of 'Volume 1', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919); England; Designed 1862; Registered and produced 1864. |
| Physical description | 'Trellis' wallpaper pattern, a flowering thorned rose bush growing on a wooden trellis, with birds and flying insects; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price. This colourway predominantly grey-green. Part of Volume 1, a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919). |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Trellis 8 / 8/8 (Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.) |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
Philip Webb supplied the bird designs for this, the first wallpaper that William Morris ever designed. The pattern was inspired by the garden at Red House, Bexleyheath, near London, Morris's first home. Wallpaper was one of the earliest forms of decoration supplied by the firm. Their own early attempts to print their designs failed and from this time all Morris papers were produced by Jeffrey & Co..(2010) |
| Credit line | Given by Morris & Co. |
| Object history | Given by Morris & Co. The first paper William Morris designed, but the third to be issued (1864). The birds were designed by Phillip Webb. Designed by William Morris (born in London, 1834, died there in 1896) with additions by Philip Webb (born in Oxford, 1831, died in Worth, West Sussex, 1915); printed in London by Jeffrey & Co. for Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. |
| Production | Within pattern book Volume 1 (1862-81). The 'Trellis' design was the first paper William Morris designed, but the third to be issued. Produced 1864. The birds were designed by Phillip Webb. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type In Britain, paper printed with patterns has been used for decorating walls since the 16th century. By the late 19th century wallpapers were widely used by all classes, in homes and also in public buildings. William Morris designed a number of wallpapers, all with repeating patterns based on natural forms. Places Morris was prompted to design his own wallpapers because he could not find any that he liked well enough to use in his own home. He designed 'Trellis' shortly after moving to the Red House. The gardens at the Red House were arranged in a Medieval style, with roses growing over trellises which enclosed the flowerbeds. This wallpaper pattern was inspired by these trellises. Design & Designing 'Trellis' is typical of Morris's early wallpaper patterns. It combines simple bird and flower forms with a plain coloured background. It is a compromise between the boldly coloured pictorial patterns which were then popular with the general public, and the formalised flat patterns in muted tones which were promoted by the design reform movement. Philip Webb, the architect of the Red House, drew the birds for this wallpaper design. |
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| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.451-1919 |
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| Record created | June 10, 2009 |
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