Prints

The beautiful floral designs of William Morris have become popular choices for art products within the modern era. As well as the obvious choice of prints, there are also handbags, cushion covers and wallpaper which allow us to add his work to our own homes.

Morris was a skilled illustrator and this provided a base to all of his work, across many different mediums. He also worked collaboratively for much of his career and this opened new avenues, project-wise, with the business in which he was involved being able to take on a whole variety of commissions. Their skillset covered painting, architecture, interior design, book illustration, embroidery, textiles and literature. Morris himself produced a strong variety of work which has been researched and documented in great detail by British historians over the past two decades. In recent years the Art and Crafts movement has received particular interest and this has brought increased exposure to the career of William Morris and also led to an increase in the amount of art print reproductions of his work being ordered, mainly within the UK.

This artist worked closely with Pre-Raphaelite artists whose style he greatily appreciated. You may, therefore, appreciate art prints from the likes of related painters such as John William Waterhouse whose The Lady of Shalott and Boreas are amongst the most reproduced of all British art. Besides this were the true members of the Brotherhood (Waterhouse was more on the fringes and arrived later) such as William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne Jones. Each and everyone of these artist contributed something significant to an overall movement which boosted British art and helped to create something which combined the old and the new together in a well balances fusion of influences. Morris himself was unique within this group, even more versatile and also particularly good at establishing the reputation from which they would all benefit.

The high quality designs of these illustrators can be enjoyed in detailed sections of artworks, offering a close-up of particular detail. Alternatively you may prefer the whole composition instead. Framed art prints suit Morris' drawings and paintings best, with a small card between frame and print. His work is busy enough to ensure that just a simple frame is most suitable. Many go for a wooden frame in black or white, with a small inlay card in the same colour. The actual size of print that you go for will vary depending on where you intend on hanging it, and how much room is available there. Most online retailers offer a wide variety of sizes, and also many other features are customisable, such as type of frame, its thickness, material and other finishes such as the plastic that sits over the print.

When selecting your choice of print, there is a great selection available, due to the fact that copyright has expired on Morris' career. This enables retailers to include any artwork of his that they have in stock, where as newer artists may be subject to copyright restrictions and payments on top as a result from each and every sale. It is the variety of flowers which dominate most galleries of his work, with different patterned arrangements being offered. British art from this period held a fairly feminine style that will attract a broader base of support than others from across the continent. Art is more accessible to the many today than it ever has been and more women are able to find items better suited to their tastes than the male dominated industry, as it was previously.