Violet and Columbine
Medium
Wool and mohair: jacquard loom woven weft-faced twill, double cloth
Dimensions
73.7 × 101 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Philip White
Accession Number
1934.329
Tags
male
About this artwork
Morris envisioned textiles such as Violet and Columbine hanging in heavy folds, the rich colors and flowing pattern suggesting a garden wall. He strongly preferred experimenting with natural dyes instead of using the garish chemical ones that had become standard in industrialized England. Even though organic dyes were expensive and scarce, and required dyers to revive old methods, they were less likely to fade in the light or during washing, and they were capable of producing more subtle tonal e...