Editing William Morris (section)

=== Red House and the Firm: 1859–1865 ===
[[File:Philip Webb's Red House in Upton.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Red House, Bexleyheath|Red House]] in [[Bexleyheath]]; it is now owned by [[The National Trust]] and open to visitors.]]

Morris desired a new home for himself and his daughters resulting in the construction of the [[Red House, Bexleyheath|Red House]] in the Kentish hamlet of Upton near [[Bexleyheath]], ten miles from central London. The building's design was a co-operative effort, with Morris focusing on the interiors and the exterior being designed by Webb, for whom the House represented his first commission as an independent architect.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=129–130, 141|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=154–156}} Named after the red bricks and red tiles from which it was constructed, Red House rejected architectural norms by being L-shaped.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=141–142}} Influenced by various forms of contemporary Neo-Gothic architecture, the House was nevertheless unique,{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=161–162}} with Morris describing it as "very mediaeval in spirit".{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=154–156}} Situated within an orchard, the house and garden were intricately linked in their design.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=140–144|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=164–165}} It took a year to construct,{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|p=157}} and cost Morris £4000 at a time when his fortune was greatly reduced by a dramatic fall in the price of his shares.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|p=171}} Burne-Jones described it as "the beautifullest place on Earth."{{sfn|Thompson|1955|p=92}}

After construction, Morris invited friends to visit, most notably Burne-Jones and his wife [[Georgiana Burne-Jones|Georgiana]], as well as Rossetti and his wife [[Elizabeth Siddal|Lizzie Siddal]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=159–160|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=157–158}} They aided him in painting murals on the furniture, walls, and ceilings, much of it based on Arthurian tales, the [[Trojan War]], and [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s stories, while he also designed floral embroideries for the rooms.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=158–159|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2p=92|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=158–160}} They also spent much time playing tricks on each other, enjoying games like [[hide and seek]], and singing while accompanied by the piano.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=162–163}} Siddall stayed at the House during summer and autumn 1861 as she recovered from a traumatic miscarriage and an addiction to [[laudanum]]; she would die of an overdose in February 1862.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=186–187}}

In April 1861, Morris founded a [[decorative arts]] company, [[Morris & Co.|Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.]], with six other partners: Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Webb, Ford Madox Brown, Charles Faulkner, and [[Peter Paul Marshall]]. Operating from premises at No. 6 [[Red Lion Square]], they referred to themselves as "the Firm" and were intent on adopting Ruskin's ideas of reforming British attitudes to production. They hoped to reinstate decoration as one of the fine arts and adopted an ethos of affordability and anti-elitism.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=144–148|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=92–93|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=166–169}} For additional staff, they employed boys from the [[Industrial Home for Destitute Boys]] in [[Euston Road|Euston]], central London, many of whom were trained as apprentices.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|p=175}}

Although working within the Neo-Gothic school of design, they differed from Neo-Gothic architects like [[George Gilbert Scott]] who simply included certain Gothic features on modern styles of building; instead they sought to return completely to Medieval Gothic methods of craftmanship.{{sfn|Thompson|1955|pp=99–100}} The products created by the Firm included furniture, architectural carving, metalwork, stained glass windows, and murals.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=151–152|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2p=94|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3p=172}} Their stained glass windows proved a particular success in the firm's early years as they were in high demand for the surge in the Neo-Gothic construction and refurbishment of churches, many of which were commissioned by the architect [[George Frederick Bodley]].{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=176–177}} Despite Morris's anti-elitist ethos, the Firm soon became increasingly popular and fashionable with the bourgeoisie, particularly following their exhibit at the [[1862 International Exhibition]] in [[South Kensington]], where they received press attention and medals of commendation.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=154–155|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2pp=96–97|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=179–181}} However, they faced much opposition from established design companies, particularly those belonging to the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neo-Classical]] school.{{sfn|Thompson|1955|p=96}}

[[File:William Morris design for Trellis wallpaper 1862.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.8|Design for ''Trellis'' wallpaper, 1862]]

Morris was slowly abandoning lithography and painting, recognising that his work lacked a sense of movement; none of his paintings are dated later than 1862.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|p=181}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithograph Archives - William Morris Gallery |work=William Morris Gallery |url=https://wmgallery.org.uk/technique/lithograph/ |access-date=6 September 2024 |date=2024}}</ref> Instead he focused his energies on designing wallpaper patterns, the first being "Trellis", designed in 1862. His designs were produced from 1864 by Jeffrey and Co. of [[Islington]], who created them for the Firm under Morris's supervision.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=156|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=182–183}} Morris retained an active interest in various groups, joining the [[Hogarth Club]], the Mediaeval Society, and the Corps of Artist Volunteers, the latter in contrast to his later pacifism.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|p=170}}

Meanwhile, Morris's family continued to grow. In January 1861, Morris and Janey's first daughter was born: named [[Jane Alice Morris]], she was commonly known as "Jenny".{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=160–161|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2pp=185–186}} Jenny was followed in March 1862 by the birth of their second daughter, [[May Morris|Mary "May" Morris]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=161|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2p=187}} Morris was a caring father to his daughters, and years later they both recounted having idyllic childhoods.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=192–193}} However, there were problems in Morris's marriage as Janey became increasingly close to Rossetti, who often painted her. It is unknown if their affair was ever sexual, although by this point other members of the group were noticing Rossetti and Janey's closeness.{{sfn|MacCarthy|1994|pp=221–223}}

Imagining the creation of an artistic community at Upton, Morris helped develop plans for a second house to be constructed adjacent to Red House in which Burne-Jones could live with his family; the plans were abandoned when Burne-Jones's son Christopher died from [[scarlet fever]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=163|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2p=94|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=193–195|4a1=Allen|4y=2001|4pp=22–23}} By 1864, Morris had become increasingly tired of life at Red House, being particularly unhappy with the 3 to 4 hours spent commuting to his London workplace on a daily basis.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1p=162|2a1=MacCarthy|2y=1994|2p=193|3a1=Allen|3y=2001|3p=22}} He sold Red House, and in autumn 1865 moved with his family to No. 26 [[Queen Square, London|Queen Square]] in Bloomsbury, the same building to which the Firm had moved its base of operations earlier in the summer.{{sfnm|1a1=Mackail|1y=1901|1pp=164–165|2a1=Thompson|2y=1955|2p=94|3a1=MacCarthy|3y=1994|3pp=196–197}}