Although primarily known for his elaborate fabrics and textile designs, William Morris was also a poet, novelist, illustrator, architect, translator, and social activist. Born in 1834, Morris lived during the market revolution, during which new technologies made mass production possible. Morris challenged the ideals of the time and founded the Arts and Crafts movement, which valued nature and craftsmanship over mass production. He spent much of his life fighting the decline of true art by supporting the principle of artisanal production. He is known to have said, “Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful or that you do not believe to be beautiful.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Born into a wealthy, middle-class family, William Morris went to Marlborough College in 1848, where he studied trees, flowers, and birds and acquired an interest in architecture and the Middle Ages. After Marlborough, he attended Exeter College, Oxford, where he met a group of like-minded poets and artists and quickly became good friends. After earning his degree and working for a short time as an architect, he changed his interest to art and worked to become an artist instead. He found some success and in 1861 founded the firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, & Co., manufacturers and decorators. The company's goal was to bring art to ordinary people and elevate interior decoration and design to the level of fine art. Shortly thereafter, Morris began his career as a translator when he became interested in Norse mythology and began reading and translating the Icelandic sagas. Returning to his career in architecture, Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877. In 1844, he dove into politics and founded the Socialist League in Britain. Just five years before his death, Morris founded Kelmscott Press, his own publishing house. With the goal of publishing beautifully illustrated and composed books, The Kelmscott Edition of Chaucer is considered by many to be the best book ever printed. After a very successful life, he died in 1896. One of Morris' main goals in his life was to dismantle the popularity of mass production, as he believed it led to dull, soulless objects. He sought to “revive the sense of beauty in domestic life, to restore the dignity of art to ordinary home decoration.” Morris was also very inspired by nature. Before going to Marlborough College, he had already acquired an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of British plants. He used this vast knowledge in his art, producing mainly natural and organic forms. Another interest Morris found in college was the art and culture of the Middle Ages. Involved in the "Gothic Revival", he attempted to revive medieval art forms such as manuscript illumination and tapestry weaving. Morris was also influenced and involved in a group by the influential artists he worked with. He was associated with a group called The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which included Millais and Rossetti. This group regarded classical painting as a formulaic formula. Instead, they produced works of art characterized by abundant detail, intense color, and complex compositions. One of Morris' most famous designs is his hand-printed wallpaper called Seaweed. Its complex design and intricate details are representative of his style as a whole. The design has a clear repetitive pattern, based on organic shapes rather than straight lines. The piece is extremely detailed and has many layers that seem to never end. Its colors are simply soft greens and blues.