The Beauty of the Earth: the Art of May, Jane and William Morris

The designs created by William Morris, his wife Jane and their daughter May abound with greenery and growing things. Orchards, hedgerows, kitchen gardens and wild woods all provided inspiration for their art and lectures.

Throughout their lives, they looked for ways to connect domestic spaces with their gardens, as they constructed beautiful patterns from honeysuckle, apple blossom and roses. Their creativity was bound up with a recognition of the fragility of the natural world. In his lecture, ‘Art and the Beauty of the Earth’, William Morris urged his audience to take responsibility for protecting their environment. He believed that artists should lead the way as activists and advocates for Nature.

This talk accompanies a new exhibition curated by Suzanne for 2025-26 in Winchester.

Dr. Suzanne Fagence Cooper is a writer, broadcaster and curator with expertise in 19th and 20th century British art and culture. She spent 12 years at the V&A Museum, researching the Victorian collections, and is in demand as historical consultant for TV and film. She is an invited lecturer for the Arts Society and Cunard voyages. Suzanne was Research Curator for Ruskin, Turner & the Storm Cloud (York Art Gallery, 2019). She has written The Model Wife: Effie Gray, Ruskin & Millais and To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters. Her latest book is At Home with Jane and William Morris.

Follow her on Instagram @suzannefagence www.suzannefagencecooper.blogspot.com

If you are looking for a local reminder of Morris’s designs, visit Lotherton Hall to see their new exhibition: Botanically Beautiful: Art and design inspired by nature, open until 18 October. 

This event is organised and ran by Leeds Art Fund.

Non-members are welcome. Refreshments included.