Quote

Ornamental pattern work, to be raised above the contempt of reasonable men, must possess three qualities: beauty, imagination and order.

William Morris

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

William Morris
Age: 62 †
Born: 1834
Born: March 24
Died: 1896
Died: October 3
Wilcumestowe
William M. Morris
Quality
Possess
Three
Qualities
Order
Reasonable
Must
Patterns
Work
Raised
Men
Design
Ornamental
Imagination
Pattern
Beauty
Contempt

More quotes by William Morris

Image
You may hang your walls with tapestry insread of whitewash or paper or you may cover them with mosaic or have them frescoed by a great painter: all this is not luxury, if it be done for beauty's sake, and not for show: it does not break our golden rule: Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
William Morris
Image
Don't think too much of style.
William Morris
Image
With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.
William Morris
Image
All rooms ought to look as if they were lived in, and to have so to say, a friendly welcome ready for the incomer.
William Morris
Image
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
William Morris
Image
Artists cannot help themselves they are driven to create by their nature, but for that nature to truly thrive, we need to preserve the precious habitat in which that beauty can flourish.
William Morris
Image
I am going your way, so let us go hand in hand. You help me and I'll help you. We shall not be here very long ... so let us help one another while we may.
William Morris
Image
Not on one strand are all life's jewels strung.
William Morris
Image
Love is enough: though the world be a-waning, And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining.
William Morris
Image
If we feel the least degradation in being amorous, or merry or hungry, or sleepy, we are so far bad animals & miserable men.
William Morris
Image
Do not be afraid of large patterns, if properly designed they are more restful to the eye than small ones: on the whole, a pattern where the structure is large and the details much broken up is the most useful...very small rooms, as well as very large ones, look better ornamented with large patterns.
William Morris
Image
The reward of labour is life. Is that not enough?
William Morris
Image
Speak not, move not, but listen, the sky is full of gold. No ripple on the river, no stir in field or fold, All gleams but naught doth glisten, but the far-off unseen sea. Forget days past, heart broken, put all memory by! No grief on the green hillside, no pity in the sky, Joy that may not be spoken fills mead and flower and tree.
William Morris
Image
No pattern should be without some sort of meaning.
William Morris
Image
If i were asked to say what is at once the most important production of Art and the thing most to be longed for, I should answer, A beautiful House.
William Morris
Image
I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.
William Morris
Image
Give me love and work - these two only.
William Morris
Image
Forsooth, brethren, fellowship is heaven and lack of fellowship is hell fellowship is life and lack of fellowship is death and the deeds that ye do upon the earth, it is for fellowship's sake that ye do them.
William Morris
Image
There was a knight came riding by In early spring, when the roads were dry And he heard that lady sing at the noon, Two red roses across the moon.
William Morris
Image
If a chap can't compose an epic poem while he's weaving tapestry, he had better shut up, he'll never do any good at all.
William Morris