William Morris, 1870

William Morris’ (1834–1896) name has become synonymous with the English Arts and Crafts movement, which embraced standards of medieval craftsmanship in order to oppose factory mass-production. At the time of George Frederic Watts’ portrait, Morris was reaching the height of his considerable powers as a designer of wallpapers, textiles and stained-glass windows. His apparent dislike of portraiture made him an elusive subject, as well as the fact that he was suffering from a head cold at the time of the single sitting for this picture on 15 April 1870.

The work forms part of Watts’ ‘Hall of Fame’, a series of more than 50 portraits conceived as a record of the most eminent individuals of the times, now housed at the National Portrait Gallery. The works, which all share a common format focusing in on the sitter’s face in a plain background, were born out of the Victorian view that portraits could reveal a person’s inner character; an idea that also underpinned the foundation of the Gallery in 1856.

National Portrait Gallery, London Given by George Frederic Watts, 1897
© National Portrait Gallery, London