The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
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
Date: 1896
Dimensions:
page: 16 5/8 x 11 3/8 in. (42.2 x 28.9 cm)
Medium: wood-engravings
Classification: Books
Credit Line: Museum Purchase
Object number: 1960.26
Label Text: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.
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.
DescriptionBook with 87 wood-engraved illustrations, plus ornamental borders and initial letters, 554 pages.
Not on view
In Collection(s)