William Morris and his Palace of Art

Tessa Wild's truly excellent book can be read at several levels, offering insightful biography alongside pioneering art history... Wild's text is sparkling and exceptionally handsome. -- Gillian Darley * The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings * 'an exemplary history by Tessa Wild...' -- Michael Hall * Times Literary Supplement * Wild's book is a splendid tome, beautifully-illustrated and exacting in scholarship (the details matter). -- Nicholas Cooper * The Burlington Magazine * ...fullest study of the house that we are likely to have, a work that will be fundamental to any understanding of Morris's work and principles. -- Jeremy Musson * The Victorian * Enlivened by a profusion of fine color and historic photographs, a few digital reconstructions, relevant letters from members of the Morris group, a running account of ongoing restoration research, and Wild's informed speculation about lost or missing artifacts. The most gratifying aspect of the book, however, is Wild's ability to capture the way that Morris's energy motivated and consolidated the group ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. * CHOICE *

Tessa Wild is a curator and writer specialising in the nineteenth century. Educated at Cambridge University and the Courtauld Institute of Art, she worked as a curator with the National Trust from 1998 to 2015. She was curator of Red House from its acquisition by the National Trust in 2003 until 2015, during which time she led a major research programme on the house. She has lectured and published widely on the subject and was awarded a Paul Mellon Mid-Career Fellowship in 2016 to undertake further research on Morris and Red House.

1 Introduction2 Morris before Red House 3 Designing and building the house4 Decorating and furnishing the house5 Hall & staircase6 Waiting Room, Lower Passage and Bedroom7 Dining Room8 Drawing Room9 Main Bedroom & Dressing Room10 Studio & Upper Passage 11 Nursery, Bedroom and Passage12 Service wing 13 The Garden14 The Firm15 Relinquishing Red House16 Red House after Morris APPENDIX Colour palette