Burne-Jones, Edward (1833-1898) & Morris, William (1834-1896)
The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
1896
Wood engraving, 42.2 x 28.9 cm
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo
Designer: William Morris (British, 1834-1896); Artist: Edward Burne-Jones (British, 1833-1898); Publisher: Kelmscott Press, Hammersmith (London), 1896; Author: Geoffrey Chaucer (British, died 1400); Printer: William Morris, Hammersmith.
Artist, designer, and poet William Morris was the founder of the English Arts & Crafts movement. With the movement’s advocacy for craft and its belief in the power of design to elevate society, it was an important precursor to and influence on the ideals of the Bauhaus school. The book was published by the Kelmscott Press, which Morris had founded in 1891 to revive the traditional craft of printing, looking to the Middle Ages for inspiration. The wood-engraved illustrations were designed by Pre-Raphaelite painter and Morris collaborator Edward Burne-Jones. Morris modeled the book’s hand-cut typefaces on medieval fonts, made the paper in the manner of the 15th century, and printed the edition by hand to create a beautifully made and harmonious work. (TMA)
See also:
• Chaucer, Geoffrey (c.1343-1400)