BEING WILLIAM MORRIS: EXHIBITIONS ON VIEW AT THE MORGAN LIBRARY Press release on Being William Morris Exhibition-related programs and Morgan Library hours    s William Morris's health deteriorated in the summer of 1896, one of his physicians made a diagnosis. The doctor concluded that he was dying "simply of being William Morris and having done more work than most ten men." To mark the hundredth anniversary of Morris's death on 3 October 1896, the Morgan Library celebrates his life and work in Being William Morris: A Centenary Exhibition and two related exhibitions, based in large part on its permanent collections, which form one of the world's great repositories of Morris materials. The exhibition is supported by a generous grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund. FLORA. Watercolor design for tapestry (1885) Figure by Edward Burne-Jones, pattern by William Morris Pierpont Morgan Library Being William Morris, on view from 8 May to 1 September 1996, presents a rounded picture of this fascinating Victorian and his achievements as poet, man of letters, artist, designer, political activist, printer, businessman, and family man - in short, as the inspirational force behind many areas of the arts. Organized by H. George Fletcher, Astor Curator of Printed Books and Bindings, The Pierpont Morgan Library, the major exhibition is divided into six sections: The Morris Circle, Poet and Author, The Book Arts, "The Firm," Socialism and Political Action, and The Kelmscott Press. A diverse group of objects, including books, historic bindings, personal and professional correspondence, manuscripts of major works, textiles, samples of vibrant wallpapers and fabrics, drawings, sketches, portraits, designs for stained glass and book illustrations, period photographs, Socialist ephemera, and artifacts that portray Morris in his various manifestations and careers, will be on view. William Morris was born in Walthamstow, England, on 24 March 1834, the eldest surviving son of the successful financier William Morris and Emma Shelton Morris. He was sent to school at Marlborough in 1847; he left after an 1851 student rebellion over conditions there. Although Marlborough was an academic disaster for the young Morris, it was a personal success in that it gave him ample time to develop his mind and taste for history and architecture. After two years of tutoring at home, Morris entered Exeter College, Oxford. It was there that he formed what would become lifelong and pivotal friendships (with, among others, the artist Edward Coley Burne-Jones) and was exposed to the works of Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Although his enthusiasms changed over the next four decades, Morris maintained many of the attachments he formed at Oxford. New members often would join his circle as the result of associations that began during these crucial years. Two smaller exhibitions, on view from 1 May to 1 September, complement Being William Morris. Organized by William M. Voelkle, Curator, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, The Pierpont Morgan Library, Morris's Medieval Manuscripts attests to Morris's astuteness as a collector of illuminated manuscripts, an interest for which he is perhaps less known. For Morris, a beautiful book was second only to a beautiful house. While his collection clearly gave him great pleasure, particularly when he was too weak to work, it also served as source material for many of his ideas on book production. At the time of his death, William Morris owned 112 manuscripts, mostly acquired in the 1890s. Although his library was sold intact in 1897 to Richard Bennett of Manchester, it did not remain so. When Pierpont Morgan purchased the Bennett Collection in 1902, it contained only thirty of Morris's manuscripts. With the subsequent addition of seven, the Library now owns nearly one third of Morris's original collection. Among the manuscripts on view are the twelfth-century "Workshop Bestiary," one of the earliest English Bestiaries with fully painted miniatures; the "Windmill Psalter," one of the finest late-thirteenth-century English psalters; and the fourteenth century "Tiptoft Missal," of which each folio contains elaborate borders. Pre-Raphaelite Drawings: The Art of the Book and Beyond was organized by Evelyn Phimister, Frank Strasser Assistant Curator of Drawings, The Pierpont Morgan Library. The presentation includes drawings and printed books in an exploration of the work of such artists as Burne-Jones, Walter Crane, Charles Fairfax Murray, and Rossetti. In September 1848, Rossetti, William Holman Hunt, and John Everett Millais, then young Royal Academy students, banded together to found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. These young artists rejected the art of Raphael and the High Renaissance, which they believed represented an idealized and artificial form of beauty. Their aims included a careful study of nature to express "genuine ideas." They also looked to "what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art," and rejected the idealized Grand Manner of the Academy derived from the High Renaissance school in general and Raphael in particular. The Pre-Raphaelites were committed to conveying moral truths, as well as demonstrating absolute fidelity to nature. Rossetti and his enthusiastic disciples, Burne-Jones and Morris, began a second wave of the movement in 1856. Burne-Jones, inspired by Rossetti's watercolors and illustrations, decided to be an artist and soon became Rossetti's pupil. The younger artist eventually became known for his beautiful paintings of graceful male and female figures posed in medieval or mythological settings. Morris's commitment to medieval themes and romantic Literature also aligned him with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. As Burne-Jones's close friend and artistic collaborator, he would find his true vocation in his writing and decorative design, culminating in his extraordinary printed books at the Kelmscott Press. Being William Morris has received an enthusiastic online review from GraceAnne A. DeCandido [WilsonWeb], also a less favorable comment from "JW" [Metrobeat].   EXHIBITION-RELATED PUBLIC PROGRAMS The Morgan Library is presenting various lectures, workshops, tours, and other events in conjunction with Being William Morns: A Centenary Exhibition. A lecture by Professor Norman Kelvin, "The Aesthetic Ideals of William Morris," will be given on 23 May. Artist Mary Emery will lead a three-part workshop on 12, 13, and 14 June. On 8 and 9 June two tours of the Morris, Burne-Jones, and Tiffany stained glass windows will be conducted at the nearby Church of the Incarnation. For information on these and other programs, the public should call (212) 685-0008, ext. 347. MORGAN LIBRARY HOURS: Tuesday to Friday, 10.30am. to 5pm.; Saturday, 10.30am. to 6pm.; Sunday, 12 noon to 6pm.; closed Monday. REQUESTED CONTRIBUTION: $5 for adults; $3 for students and seniors; free for children twelve and under, when accompanied by an adult. Groups of ten or more visitors are asked to make reservations. Contact: Glory Jones, Communications Department, Tel. (212) 685-0008, ext. 319. HOME · NEW · EVENTS · NEWSLETTER · SITE ARCHIVE · ABOUT THE SOCIETY MORRIS' LIFE AND WORKS · PRODUCTS · LINKS · SITE MAP · CONTACT US LAST UPDATE 4 JAN 2001 · PLEASE REPORT BROKEN LINKS TO WEBMASTER@MORRISSOCIETY.ORG