William Morris. Arthur Clutton-Brock

provokes real invention in design. And he meant to follow his own bent and then see if the public would not buy his goods. The taste consulted in the ordinary decorator’s business is nobody’s taste; it is merely what some businessman thinks may be the taste of the public. Morris meant to consult his own taste, for he knew that only by doing can an artist produce works of art.

      41. Philip Webb, The Forest (Detail), 1887. Design for the tapestry The Forest. Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

      42. The Forest, 1887. Tapestry. Woven wool and silk on a cotton warp, 121.9 × 452 cm. Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

      The circular gave the following account of work that the firm proposed to do:

      I. Mural decoration, either in pictures or in pattern work, or merely in the arrangement of colours, as applied to dwelling houses, churches or public buildings.

      II. Carving generally as applied to architecture.

      III. Stained glass, especially with reference to its harmony with mural decoration.

      IV. Metal work in all its branches, including jewellery.

      V. Furniture, either depending for its beauty on its own design, on the application of materials hitherto overlooked, or on its conjunction with figure and pattern painting.

      Under this head is included embroidery of all kinds, stamped leather and ornamental work in other such materials, besides every article necessary for domestic use.