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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment

Unfaithful, too striking... why William Morris’s wife was painted out of the Arts and Crafts movement

Jane Morris in Blue Silk Dress with flowers
Jane Morris (The Blue Silk Dress) – a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti of his lover. Illustration: Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Revered for his textiles, his art and his socialism, William Morris is the celebrated leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, a renowned intellectual who revolutionised decorative art and design in Britain. His wife, Jane, meanwhile, has been relegated to the status of a silent muse.

Now, the first joint biography of the couple will shine a light on their personal and creative partnership, and reassert the rightful place of Jane Morris – a skilled embroiderer and talented designer – in the history books.

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