William Morris : Known for his unusual wallpapers, prints and rugs, he is the face behind the Arts and Crafts movement and has collaborated with multiple clothing brands. What exactly was it that makes this man so special?
The Life of William Morris
William Morris was born on March 24, 1834 in Walthamstow, England. With a father who was a successful stockbroker, William and his siblings grew up wealthy that didn't even require them to work. But William was ambitious, he went to study classical languages at university and there he met Edward Burne-Jones, a future painter. This meeting was also the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
William began to resist industrialization and mass production more and more. Morris's ambitions lay in art . In his opinion, art was not only to be viewed, but also to be used. The well-known works of art have been created from this: wallpaper, carpets, tiles, stained glass and furniture.
William studied languages, so in addition to his works of art, he was also good with words: he also wrote many poems and books. During all the work he did he met Jane Burden, the daughter of a local groomsman. William was completely enchanted by her. With her pale skin and copper-colored hair, he called her a 'living work of art'. In 1859 he married the girl and had two daughters: May and Jane Alice. 
Morris & Co
Morris & Company was founded in 1861, William Morris his own company. Morris created his artworks authentically and released furniture, stained glass and embroidery. In 1864 Morris released his first well-known wallpaper collections called Daisy, Trellis and Fruit. Morris also did not hold back in the field of marketing: with stunning showrooms he tried to get as many customers as possible.
William Morris , however, had a major frustration. He made his creations with great love, but only the rich could afford this and not the 'ordinary' workers, while he believed that art should be accessible to everyone. His focus was more on writing and published an article in the famous News from Nowhere about 'a world without capitalism, industrialization and alienation, where everyone makes art and can enjoy it'.
Morris died on October 3, 1896, presumably of tuberculosis. His doctor, however, described it as 'just being Morris, who has done more work than 10 men at a time'. Morris was also just a man who wanted to do and create as much as possible with great passion in his life.