William Morris

Sitterback to top

• William Morris (1834-1896), Poet, craftsman and socialist. Sitter in 66 portraits.

Artistback to top

• George Frederic Watts (1817-1904), Painter and sculptor. Artist associated with 85 portraits, Sitter in 40 portraits.

This portraitback to top

On 15 April 1870 William Morris wrote to his wife Janey (who at the time was having an affair with Dante Gabriel Rossetti), 'I am going to sit to Watts this afternoon, though I have got a devil of a cold-in-the-head, which don't make it very suitable.' Perhaps a combination of the cold and his depression at the failure of his marriage accounts for the slightly rheumy look of his portrait. According to Mrs Watts, it was painted at a single sitting, although it is possible that Watts may have done more work on it when it was exhibited in 1880. Otherwise, there is singlularly little contemporary comment on it, apart from a later and well judged remark by G.K. Chesterton that 'There is something appropriate in the way in which the living, leonine head projects from a background of green and silver decoration. This immersion of a singularly full-blooded and aggressive man in the minutiae of aesthetics was a paradox that attracted men to Morris.'

Linked publicationsback to top

• Audio Guide
• Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 29
• Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1996, p. 29
• Funnell, Peter (introduction); Marsh, Jan, A Guide to Victorian and Edwardian Portraits, 2011, p. 15
• Gibson, Robin, Treasures from the National Portrait Gallery, 1996, p. 97
• Marsh, Jan, Character Sketches: The Pre-Raphaelites, 1998
• Marsh, Jan, Insights: The Pre-Raphaelite Circle, 2005, p. 84
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 140
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery, 1997, p. 140
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 443

Subject/Themeback to top

• On display at the Gallery