Personal life William Morris

the salutation of beatrice, jane morris portrayed dante gabriel rossetti dante alighieri s muse, beatrice, 1869

morris biographer e.p. thompson described him having robust bearing, , slight roll in walk , alongside rough beard , disordered hair . author henry james described morris short, burly, corpulent, careless , unfinished in dress ... has loud voice , nervous restless manner , unaffected , businesslike address. talk indeed wonderfully point , remarkable clear sense. morris first biographer mackail described him being both typical englishman , typical londoner of middle class albeit 1 transformed quite individual through force of genius . maccarthy described morris lifestyle being late victorian, mildly bohemian, bourgeois , mackail commenting exhibited many of traits of bourgeois victorian class: industrious, honest, fair-minded lights, unexpansive , unsympathetic . although disliked children, morris exhibited strong sense of responsibility toward family. mackail nevertheless thought interested in things more in people , while did have lasting friendships , deep affections , did not allow people penetrate central part of him.

politically, morris staunch revolutionary socialist , anti-imperialist, , although raised christian came identify non-religious atheist. came reject state socialism , large centralized control, instead emphasising localised administration within socialist society. later political activist derek wall suggested morris classified ecosocialist. morris influenced romanticism, thompson asserting romanticism bred bones, , formed consciousness. thompson argued romantic revolt part of passionate protest against intolerable social reality , of industrial capitalism of britain s victorian era. however, believed led little more yearning nostalgia or sweet complaint , morris became realist , revolutionary when adopted socialism in 1882. however, mackail of opinion morris had innate socialism had penetrated , dominated did throughout life. given conflict between personal , professional life , socio-political views, maccarthy described morris conservative radical .

morris s behaviour erratic. of nervous disposition, , throughout life relied on networks of male friends aid him in dealing this. morris friends nicknamed him topsy after character in uncle tom s cabin. had wild temper, , when sufficiently enraged suffer seizures , blackouts. rossetti known taunt morris intention of trying enrage him amusement of himself , other friends.

biographer fiona maccarthy suggests morris might have suffered form of tourette s syndrome exhibited of symptoms. in later life suffered gout, common complaint among middle-class males in victorian period. morris s ethos 1 should have nothing in houses not know useful, or believe beautiful. held view no work cannot done pleasure in doing worth doing , , adopted personal motto if can fifteenth-century flemish painter jan van eyck.