Tudor Rose Pattern Printed Fabric (no. 23591)

William Morris

c.1883

Printed cotton fabric by William Morris (c.1883) that repeats Tudor roses, tulips, and small birds in a richly detailed pattern intended to bring medieval-inspired handcrafted ornament into contemporary interiors.

What hits you first is the dense, mirror-like repetition of pink roses and red tulips woven through curling green stems on a deep blue ground, with small speckled birds nested in the foliage giving the surface a tapestry-like, jewel-toned rhythm.

A hallmark of the Arts and Crafts movement, this design resisted industrial blandness by reviving hand-drawn, medieval motifs for mass use and helped reshape modern ideas about pattern, craft, and domestic decoration.

Palette

Art Terms

Arts and Craftsmovement Textile Design Interior design Print

Exhibitions

Textiles U.S.A.

1956

Design Trends in Unit Furniture, Fabric and Tableware

1946

Masters of British Painting, 1800–1950

1956

Modern Architecture in England

1937