Saturday 30th May; what a beautiful day.
Determined to make use of our National Trust membership and in the mood to seize the day and have a good adventure, we looked through the handbook. Settling for Red House, the home for five years of designer, craftsman, writer and Socialist: William Morris, we were soon on the train with our bikes down to Bexleyheath.
A short cycle away from the station we arrived just in time for a tour, our guide Alan Hofman showed us around the exterior of the house and in the gardens. We then moved into the house and were guided into each room.
Hofman was a brilliant guide, a softly spoken gentleman with an unrushed pace. His storytelling approach was both entertaining and enjoyably educational.
I learnt not only the details of Morris’ work and its importance as the foundation to the beginnings of the arts & Crafts movement, but his personal attitude to favoring crafted, rather than store bought, furniture for his Red House; an attribute I hold dear.
It was also intriguing to find out about the love stories that entwined Morris and his friends and colleagues connected to the work and socializing within the Red House. An old schoolmate and later regular visitor to Red House, important to note was Gabriel Rossetti and his wife, whose marriage was cut short under distressing circumstances. On sale at the Red House gift shop is a book titled ‘The Model Wife’ which story tells ‘The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, Ruskin and Millias, all characters in William Morris’ life (written by Suzanne Fagence Cooper). Reading the first page it seems like the perfect book to get lost in on a summer’s picnic in the park. (Go to Amazon for a more competitive prize.) Phillip Brown a fellow blogger, dedicated to Pre Raphaelite Art, has written a review and summary of this book, please go to:
http://preraphaelitepaintings.blogspot.com/2011/02/model-wife-effie-ruskin-and-millais.html
There is also a painting portrait of Millias to see.
The Red House is an important site for its architecture which Morris commissioned Phillip Webb to design, as well the building houses centuries of art history within the walls and furniture, collaborated by the ten owners and tenants post Morris. In the library room upstairs its chimney reads ARS.LONGA.VITA BREUIS, meaning ‘Art Survives life is short’ a poignant statement having taken in the guided tour of the house, its tenants and Morris’ work.
This was the perfect way to spend a Saturday and now I have gained an insight of William Morris’ life and work, I am keen to adventure more connected sites.
To find out more properties connected to William Morris visit: http://www.morrisnetwork.net/aboutmn.html
Many textile replicas shown in the Red House were produced by ladies from the Morris Society that is another resource worth researching if you are interested in textiles and needlepoint disciplines: http://www.morrissociety.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment