Apprenticeship, the Pre-Raphaelites, and marriage: 1856–59 William Morris

morris s painting la belle iseult, inaccurately called queen guinevere, surviving easel painting, in tate gallery, 1858.

having passed finals , been awarded ba, morris began apprenticeship oxford-based neo-gothic architect george edmund street in january 1856. apprenticeship focused on architectural drawing, , there placed under supervision of young architect philip webb, became close friend. morris relocated street s london office, in august 1856 moving flat in bloomsbury, central london burne-jones, area perhaps chosen avant-garde associations. morris fascinated london dismayed @ pollution , rapid expansion neighbouring countryside, describing spreading sore .

morris became increasingly fascinated idyllic medievalist depictions of rural life appeared in paintings of pre-raphaelites, , spent large sums of money purchasing such artworks. burne-jones shared interest, took further becoming apprentice 1 of foremost pre-raphaelite painters, dante gabriel rossetti; 3 became close friends. through rossetti, morris came associate poet robert browning, , artists arthur hughes, thomas woolner, , ford madox brown. tired of architecture, morris abandoned apprenticeship, rossetti persuading him take painting instead, chose in pre-raphaelite style. morris aided rossetti , burne-jones in painting arthurian murals @ oxford union, although contributions deemed inferior , unskilled compared of others. @ rossetti s recommendation, morris , burne-jones moved in flat @ bloomsbury s no. 17 red lion square november 1856. morris designed , commissioned furniture flat in medieval style, of painted arthurian scenes in direct rejection of mainstream artistic tastes.

morris continued writing poetry , began designing illuminated manuscripts , embroidered hangings. in march 1857, bell , dandy published book of morris s poems, defence of guenevere, largely self-funded author. did not sell , garnered few reviews, of unsympathetic. disconcerted, morris not publish again further 8 years. in october 1857 morris met jane burden, woman poor working-class background, @ theatre performance , asked model him. smitten her, entered relationship , engaged in spring 1858; burden later admit never loved morris. married in low-key ceremony held @ st michael @ north gate church in oxford on 26 april 1859, before honeymooning in bruges, belgium, , settling temporarily @ 41 great ormond street, london.