How was it made? Block printing William Morris Wallpaper | V&A

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  • Опубліковано 24 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 143

  • @vamuseum
    @vamuseum  3 роки тому +5

    Find out more about this wallpaper design in Explore the Collections: collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78222/acanthus-wallpaper-morris-william/

  • @casteretpollux
    @casteretpollux 3 роки тому +159

    Incredible precision. No wonder it's so expensive.

  • @londonhodnet4079
    @londonhodnet4079 3 роки тому +73

    Fascinating, very labour intensive, beautiful

  • @angelbaby1811
    @angelbaby1811 3 роки тому +50

    This explains why certain products are so expensive. What painstaking detail. Beautiful.

  • @curiousworld7912
    @curiousworld7912 3 роки тому +19

    No one has ever done more beautiful wallpaper, as far as I'm concerned, as did William Morris. Just gorgeous...

  • @liveoak4124
    @liveoak4124 3 роки тому +30

    Thank you, these shorts are wonderful but they always leave me wanting. Please consider making them of longer duration with more details of the subject.

    • @mimi0864
      @mimi0864 3 роки тому

      They are meant to be tasters on the subject. Mr google will elaborate.

  • @jeremyljonesjr
    @jeremyljonesjr 3 роки тому +33

    I love seeing acanthus in design. It’s such a timeless plant.

    • @FreyaOakley
      @FreyaOakley 3 роки тому +3

      I absolutely love William Morris and this wallpaper design but if one could have plants as enemies, acanthus would be mine! Nightmare to get rid of, highly prolific, prickly and even cannon fires its thumbnail sized seeds a few meters in the middle of summer. Very painful to get hit by them!

  • @kakussubrado8966
    @kakussubrado8966 3 роки тому +35

    That's so cool. It's like a giant stamp! Kudos to these wonderful and respectable artisans of such exquisite and tedious craft 💖

    • @voraciousreader3341
      @voraciousreader3341 3 роки тому +1

      It IS a giant stamp, lol! And artisans took great pride in their work, so they would never say it was “tedious.” It’s art, and artists and artisans see the value of what they do, and it gives joy and satisfaction to see every stage develop, and to see their ideas coming to fruition. It’s just like an artist painting something that pleases them,, or a sculptor “finding” a statue inside a block of stone.

  • @rightweaponry908
    @rightweaponry908 3 роки тому +37

    the end scene with each layer sped up kinda looks like a digital imagine loading,
    like slowly getting clearer, for some reason that kinda hit me, this is when people were their own computers.

  • @lydiarowe491
    @lydiarowe491 3 роки тому +7

    A painstaking process that has been developed over many years...
    Beautifully crafted wallpaper..
    William Morris's designs are evergreen..

  • @Marilinaa
    @Marilinaa 3 роки тому +7

    Fascinating. It is so nice his work is still being made in the same way he did it. Beautiful!

  • @lizday8140
    @lizday8140 3 роки тому +8

    I can truly appreciate that sort of work and dedication. Beautiful!

  • @Inkling777
    @Inkling777 3 роки тому +25

    William Morris was incredibly creative. In addition to wallpapers, he wrote fantasy novels that influenced J.R. R. Tolkien.

    • @flamencoprof
      @flamencoprof 3 роки тому +6

      I still have in paperback a two volume 1971 printing of his The Well At the World's End, though I don't think I've opened them since reading then.

    • @lunarose9
      @lunarose9 6 місяців тому

      and many socilaist essays

  • @kisnpisn4919
    @kisnpisn4919 3 роки тому +4

    fantastic. morris still is one of the greatest masters of complex repeating pattern designs

  • @miaandersen8731
    @miaandersen8731 3 роки тому +7

    Ahhh thank you! My favourite pattern from my favourite pattern maker! This was such a treat to wake up to down here in Australia. Thank you V&A!

  • @Lisa_In_Canada
    @Lisa_In_Canada 2 роки тому +1

    My goodness …. The pressure to get it right every single time. I would crack at some point lol! Amazing! I love they still do it this way today. A wonderful art form, thankfully preserved.

  • @welsthe3rd
    @welsthe3rd 3 роки тому +5

    Beautiful work from one of the 1st industrialists and also one of the 1st anti-industrialist. Amazing work & history ❤️

  • @clairedaniell4399
    @clairedaniell4399 3 роки тому +13

    One word WOW.

  • @debbycoley
    @debbycoley 3 роки тому +3

    Breathtaking work of art.

  • @cometoyoursenses9310
    @cometoyoursenses9310 3 роки тому +6

    Thank you so much!
    More Morris content please!

  • @heard3879
    @heard3879 10 місяців тому

    Wow, I can't even imagine how expensive this wallpaper must be. Exquisite!

  • @amadine770
    @amadine770 2 роки тому

    Getting the registration right is another aspect altogether besides recreating the colours-they deserve the price tag.

  • @melaniegardner8766
    @melaniegardner8766 3 роки тому

    The artist and his art lives on. Exquisite!

  • @CarolynFahm
    @CarolynFahm 3 роки тому

    The craft behind the art. Thank-you for this.

  • @ptaylor4923
    @ptaylor4923 3 роки тому +2

    Oh that's just friggin' cool. As a watercolor painter I love this and want it for my home.

  • @stelleldir
    @stelleldir 3 роки тому

    That is so amazing! I love repeating patterns and this is my first time seeing the process of block printing like that. In love!

  • @TarnishedTreasures1
    @TarnishedTreasures1 3 роки тому +2

    Stunning!

  • @sarahwig1
    @sarahwig1 3 роки тому +3

    Beautiful!

  • @monkeygraborange
    @monkeygraborange 3 роки тому +86

    Fun fact: The majority of Morris’s wallpapers are in the greenish range, which was achieved by the use of arsenic. Morris’s family made their fortune in the arsenic business.

    • @hadynwills3677
      @hadynwills3677 3 роки тому +10

      I have bits of Victorian green wallpaper hanging around after hundred and thirty years well aware of arsenic contents Pretty green.

    • @theadultpantry7219
      @theadultpantry7219 3 роки тому +13

      Gives the saying 'suffer for beauty' a whole new meaning.

    • @ArtistJoshuaWeigand
      @ArtistJoshuaWeigand 3 роки тому +16

      As beautiful as this is, I do not feel tempted to eat the wallpaper

    • @Gun5hip
      @Gun5hip 3 роки тому +4

      @@ArtistJoshuaWeigand These would make lovely cake designs tho.

    • @leftyfourguns
      @leftyfourguns 3 роки тому +6

      Pretty much every non-earthy color back in the day was toxic and/or deadly lol

  • @Delilah.Elizabeth
    @Delilah.Elizabeth 2 роки тому

    Beautiful! Loved the accompanying music as well! ❤

  • @Lisatheecologist
    @Lisatheecologist 3 роки тому +5

    Oh wow. Piecework magazine just had an article about May Morris, the daughter of William Morris.

  • @LambentOrt
    @LambentOrt 3 роки тому

    That's such an amazingly tedious process. God what I would give to see it in person.

  • @e.jenima7263
    @e.jenima7263 3 роки тому +1

    Now i know why morris wallpapper is so expenisive!

  • @yourkingdomcomeyourwillbedone
    @yourkingdomcomeyourwillbedone 10 місяців тому

    A beautiful craft ❤️ really enjoyed the background music too

  • @martinsdontjump
    @martinsdontjump 3 роки тому

    Wow. What an amazing result

  • @護法童子
    @護法童子 3 роки тому +4

    Magnifico!!!

  • @LuliLulu
    @LuliLulu 3 роки тому +1

    Beautiful craftsmanship 😍 it must be nerve racking to try and match the original colours

  • @victoriamilonas1942
    @victoriamilonas1942 3 роки тому +1

    Imagine fun fact and arsenic in the same sentence! That's the beauty of commentary. My takeaway was the mushiness of the stamp pad was made clear. Otherwise the 'ink' could not cover as well.

  • @suzettecalleja3122
    @suzettecalleja3122 3 роки тому +35

    No wonder it's so expensive. It's a Japanese technique. It's stunning, so beautiful.

    • @lukerabin5079
      @lukerabin5079 3 роки тому +7

      Ukyo-e uses woodblock stencils as well. Europe has used the same idea for hundreds of years, too, based on the contents of museums I’ve seen.

    • @pyewackett5
      @pyewackett5 3 роки тому +18

      Everything Morris created was labour intensive which made his products very expensive. The fact never sat well with him. He was forever 'ministering to the swineish luxuries of the rich'. He built his own loom following directions out of an 18th century French manual. He moved his workshop to the river Wandle because the water was soft & improved his dyeing processes. He'd turn up to meetings with his arms dyed blue. He taught himself Icelandic in order to translate their chronicles into English. The man was an absolute marvel. My hero !

    • @lukerabin5079
      @lukerabin5079 3 роки тому +2

      @@pyewackett5 I just love his design based work…I had no idea he was such a diverse talent!

    • @pyewackett5
      @pyewackett5 3 роки тому +1

      @@lukerabin5079
      He was a poet & printer creating his own books. Also a revolutionary socialist. That snippet of information generally shocks people .

    • @markmiller3279
      @markmiller3279 3 роки тому +3

      China had it before Japan, and in time it became a worldwide method for printing.

  • @t.b.1596
    @t.b.1596 3 роки тому

    What a beautiful masterpiece!

  • @fatoomgierdien2181
    @fatoomgierdien2181 3 роки тому

    Phenomenal artwork.
    Thank you

  • @MariaReyes-te7lk
    @MariaReyes-te7lk Рік тому

    It's beautiful!

  • @xo0Adriana0ox
    @xo0Adriana0ox 3 роки тому

    This is mindblowing!!!!

  • @moragmcmillan5323
    @moragmcmillan5323 3 роки тому +1

    Magnificent

  • @gigliolaterenna3770
    @gigliolaterenna3770 2 роки тому

    Meraviglioso, una grande eredità culturale. Grazie per questo bellissimo video.

  • @cherylb6755
    @cherylb6755 3 роки тому +3

    As interesting and informative as this was - and it was, the comment section is as well. Thank you all!

  • @chuckandmax7313
    @chuckandmax7313 3 роки тому

    Wow that’s really amazing, I love William Morris designs, now I know why the wallpaper is so expensive.

  • @marcioferreira5075
    @marcioferreira5075 3 роки тому +5

    Simplesmente fantástico 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

  • @zoro6318
    @zoro6318 3 роки тому +1

    c'est trop beau ! ❤❤❤

  • @jadedrealist
    @jadedrealist 3 роки тому +1

    Now I know what it's so expensive. It is so beautiful.

  • @donaldauguston9740
    @donaldauguston9740 3 роки тому

    Thank you for uploading. This was quite interesting. Take care, DA

  • @DeliaLee8
    @DeliaLee8 3 роки тому

    Wonderful!

  • @gailbolton4891
    @gailbolton4891 3 роки тому

    Many thanks for sharing this.

  • @MoPoppins
    @MoPoppins Рік тому

    This actually seems like something a computer would do well, lowering the price point drastically. That said, there’s something extra magical and soulful to doing everything by hand, but if the final product won’t suffer in the process of automation, then it’s certainly an exciting option to consider.

  • @Eyagsf
    @Eyagsf 3 роки тому +1

    OMG … the patience 🙉

  • @connissia
    @connissia 3 роки тому

    I absolutely appreciate the talent and dedication to this craft! My problem with things like this is that only a small elite wealthy portion of the population can afford these products.

    • @monkeygraborange
      @monkeygraborange 3 роки тому +5

      Generally speaking, those on the lower end of the economic scale aren’t exactly pining for William Morris wallpapers.

    • @dennismitchell5276
      @dennismitchell5276 10 місяців тому

      ​@@monkeygraborangethe food and shelter thing does get in the way. Working two jobs. Going to work sick just so you can pay the rent. Just low class folk ignorant of the finer things.

  • @campbellmorrison8540
    @campbellmorrison8540 3 роки тому +4

    No wonder that paper is expensive! Imagine making the blocks

  • @anonymousonlineuser6543
    @anonymousonlineuser6543 3 роки тому

    This wallpaper should cost millions. Such a labour intensive process.

  • @MellowWind
    @MellowWind 3 роки тому

    Love this.

  • @firouz4296
    @firouz4296 3 роки тому +1

    This must be one of the most emotional and beautiful videos on UA-cam!
    It literally makes me cry.
    I am thinking about how it must feel to be able to afford this paper.
    I am thankful for what I have
    but if I had the money to buy this paper,
    I surely would have enough money to support people
    that don't have that wealth and need support.

  • @julianachandler2975
    @julianachandler2975 3 роки тому

    Amazing

  • @andrewgillis3073
    @andrewgillis3073 3 роки тому +4

    I’ve always been a fan of William Morris, the Craftsmen artist and art nouveau. All of which are labor intensive. Unfortunately my budget is more Eastlake…

    • @markmiller3279
      @markmiller3279 3 роки тому +1

      Nothing wrong with Eastlake, though I'd take Morris first, too.

    • @andrewgillis3073
      @andrewgillis3073 3 роки тому +2

      @@markmiller3279 I’ve always felt Eastlake was the IKEA Of it’s time, but better made. All of the really good furniture in my family (none of which I got), has been in the family for several generations. We, in this age, forget that when people in the past bought furniture and art, they expected it to stay in the family for generations. So spending ten to twenty grand (pounds or dollars), was a good investment. Here in Southern California we have some great examples of Arts and Crafts, but most people aren’t willing to pay for that sort of workmanship.
      Museums like the Met and the V and A allow people to see stuff they aren’t going to see in a normal furniture store. My hats off to you!

  • @jacquevanlopeznoroff8827
    @jacquevanlopeznoroff8827 Рік тому

    Wow! Exhausting!

  • @alena.709
    @alena.709 3 роки тому +2

    Danke schön!

  • @thomas.peru.
    @thomas.peru. 3 роки тому +1

    que belleza, me encanta el art and craft

  • @forpspeakingclass4444
    @forpspeakingclass4444 3 роки тому +1

    This prob isnt considered asmr but its what I prefer

  • @philipk917
    @philipk917 3 роки тому

    fascinating and beautiful!

  • @somewhereupthere785
    @somewhereupthere785 9 місяців тому

    It's the design that you want. Not the tedious labor. Haven't they figured out a modern way to use the block painting?

  • @caramella1181
    @caramella1181 3 роки тому

    Wowowow 😍

  • @rupert5390
    @rupert5390 3 роки тому

    Please knock outa 100 rolls for me I’m doing the kids rumpus room and the TV room - sorry couldn’t help that - magnificent work of the printer but more importantly the wood blockcutter/ carver - the unsung hero of the process.

  • @ck7642
    @ck7642 3 роки тому

    whoah!

  • @esotericexplorersmartinez493

    ❤❤❤❤love ❤

  • @Visha-Vishenka
    @Visha-Vishenka Рік тому

    👏👏👏👏👏

  • @flamencoprof
    @flamencoprof 3 роки тому

    It's amazing that even though this is a kind of mechanisation of a handcraft, I would guess the product would still have been VERY expensive. Think of four weeks' pay of any worker today for a roll of wallpaper. Beautiful nevertheless.

  • @allanpennington
    @allanpennington 3 роки тому

    You wouldn't want just any wall paper hanger putting this on your walls!

  • @ginamariakleinmartin6503
    @ginamariakleinmartin6503 3 роки тому

    oh my!

  • @arunaniermann2003
    @arunaniermann2003 8 місяців тому

    Are these available for sale somewhere?

  • @lindapoulton2982
    @lindapoulton2982 Рік тому

    I'm please William Morris eventually substituted the arsenic used in green dyes.

  • @Thekidfromcalifornia2.0
    @Thekidfromcalifornia2.0 3 роки тому

    Ps the women in his life were badasses. Their embroidery work so amazing.

  • @bookofdust
    @bookofdust 3 роки тому +1

    Was the paper vintage or made to vintage standards, it looked very period as well?

  • @williamwoody7607
    @williamwoody7607 3 роки тому

    Wonderful video. But tell me about the music. Appropriate and beautiful.

  • @AmaratMamu
    @AmaratMamu 3 роки тому

    Oh!

  • @shortclips4267
    @shortclips4267 3 роки тому

    Anyone knows the music ?

  • @joycemckeown789
    @joycemckeown789 3 роки тому

    I have a very old roll of wallpaper how do I find out how old it is .

    • @vamuseum
      @vamuseum  3 роки тому

      You can find out more about the wallpaper in Explore the Collections: collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78222/acanthus-wallpaper-morris-william/

  • @dustinroemer5180
    @dustinroemer5180 Рік тому +1

    House flippers: eww, wallpaper [proceeds to tear it off, paint the wall white, and put up a "live, laugh, love" sign]

  • @romikim4548
    @romikim4548 11 місяців тому

    윌리엄 모리스 블록 프린팅

  • @preacherman9018
    @preacherman9018 Рік тому

    My house was built right after the civil war.
    It had layers of wallpaper over the board walls.
    I really wish I took pictures of it as I stripped it.
    The way I described it was a beautiful Paisley leaf pattern that looked like it was a stamped print. I wish it were possible to preserve it at the time, but the layers of glued paper would not allow it. It was truly a fine work of art. I was astonished at how it was designed like that so long ago. Now I know that it was likely applied in the 1800s over lumber cut from the woods surrounding the house on land granted by President Lincoln for service in the Civil War. Below is a link to an unrelated video that I hope reveals the infinite kindness of the Lord to anyone who has a few minutes.
    ua-cam.com/video/qv0rnnUdk-I/v-deo.html

  • @uusha357
    @uusha357 8 місяців тому

    Hello i want to ask u

  • @pedrolopes3542
    @pedrolopes3542 3 роки тому

    A pressroll would make this in less than 30 seconds.

  • @babyfefe999
    @babyfefe999 3 роки тому

    Everyone says it's expensive but they don't say how much it is

    • @Kim_Miller
      @Kim_Miller 3 роки тому

      You can buy it here, but it will be modern print methods, not the wood blocks.
      www.wallpaperdirect.com/collections/morris/william-morris/79

  • @tipakongphan3250
    @tipakongphan3250 3 роки тому

    👍🤩🌏🌍🌎

  • @hetedeleambacht6608
    @hetedeleambacht6608 Рік тому

    pff.. insane... i get the impression even in his time this particular design wasnt sold very often.....beautiful, but it has to fit just right in an interior due to the bold and big pattern,,,,must ve been expensive even then

  • @pgmreallaw
    @pgmreallaw 3 роки тому +1

    I would hope that such master crafts are only used in homes worthy of the art and not the shite "houses" produced en mass today!

  • @gabrielnicopilario8010
    @gabrielnicopilario8010 3 роки тому +1

    All fun and games till you discovered it has arsenic

  • @somewhereupthere785
    @somewhereupthere785 9 місяців тому

    It's a beautiful design too bad no one can afford HAND PRESSED wallpaper...

  • @ivanolsen7966
    @ivanolsen7966 3 роки тому

    how many people died at William Morris' hands

  • @greenatom
    @greenatom 3 роки тому

    Anyone else bothered by that slight misalignment?

  • @ableadelaide5893
    @ableadelaide5893 3 роки тому

    Wow, who knew? Nowadays they spit prints out in milliseconds that are fa more precise and cheaper by orders of magnitude. Interesting insight into a craft no longer viable.

  • @dianaberg4335
    @dianaberg4335 3 роки тому

    ......und Diejenigen, die sich die Tapete leisten können, können (meist) nicht das Handwerk und die Arbeit dahinter begreifen.

  • @petalparker5
    @petalparker5 3 роки тому

    No wonder wallpaper so damn expersive.