Tapestry: The Forest
William Morris, Philip Webb, John Henry Dearle, 1887
Purchased when William Morris was deeply unfashionable, this was the first of many works by him to be supported by the Art Fund.
The Forest Tapestry, a collaboration between him, Philip Webb and Henry Dearle was created at Morris' tapestry works, Merton Abbey.
The flowers in the foreground and the verdure behind were designed by Morris, while Webb added the five animal studies and Dearle supplied the floral details for this work. The inscription at the top reads: 'the beast that be in woodland waste, now sit and see nor ride nor hast.' It was later published under the title 'The Lion' in Morris's Poems By the Way of 1891.
More information
Title of artwork, date
Tapestry: The Forest, 1887
Date supported
1926
Medium and material
Woven silk & wood on a cotton warp
Dimensions
122 x 460 cm
Total cost
500
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