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

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  • čas přidán 12. 07. 2021
  • This video recreates the painstaking reproduction of a William Morris wallpaper design from 1875, a process that can take up to 4 weeks, using 30 different blocks and 15 separate colours.
    Find out more about William Morris designs: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/wil...

Komentáře • 143

  • @vamuseum
    @vamuseum  Před 3 lety +5

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

  • @casteretpollux
    @casteretpollux Před 3 lety +152

    Incredible precision. No wonder it's so expensive.

  • @curiousworld7912
    @curiousworld7912 Před 3 lety +18

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

  • @londonhodnet4079
    @londonhodnet4079 Před 3 lety +70

    Fascinating, very labour intensive, beautiful

  • @jeremyljonesjr
    @jeremyljonesjr Před 3 lety +31

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

    • @FreyaOakley
      @FreyaOakley Před 3 lety +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!

  • @liveoak4124
    @liveoak4124 Před 3 lety +28

    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 Před 2 lety

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

  • @rightweaponry908
    @rightweaponry908 Před 3 lety +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.

  • @angelbaby1811
    @angelbaby1811 Před 3 lety +44

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

  • @Inkling777
    @Inkling777 Před 3 lety +25

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

    • @flamencoprof
      @flamencoprof Před 3 lety +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 Před 2 měsíci

      and many socilaist essays

  • @kakussubrado8966
    @kakussubrado8966 Před 3 lety +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 Před 2 lety +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.

  • @Marilinaa
    @Marilinaa Před 3 lety +7

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

  • @lydiarowe491
    @lydiarowe491 Před 3 lety +7

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

  • @lizday8140
    @lizday8140 Před 3 lety +8

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

  • @kisnpisn4919
    @kisnpisn4919 Před 3 lety +4

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

  • @Lisa_In_Canada
    @Lisa_In_Canada Před 2 lety +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.

  • @cometoyoursenses9310
    @cometoyoursenses9310 Před 3 lety +6

    Thank you so much!
    More Morris content please!

  • @clairedaniell4399
    @clairedaniell4399 Před 3 lety +13

    One word WOW.

  • @miaandersen8731
    @miaandersen8731 Před 3 lety +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!

  • @welsthe3rd
    @welsthe3rd Před 3 lety +5

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

  • @debbycoley
    @debbycoley Před 3 lety +3

    Breathtaking work of art.

  • @ptaylor4923
    @ptaylor4923 Před 3 lety +2

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

  • @monkeygraborange
    @monkeygraborange Před 3 lety +85

    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 Před 3 lety +10

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

    • @theadultpantry7219
      @theadultpantry7219 Před 3 lety +12

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

    • @ArtistJoshuaWeigand
      @ArtistJoshuaWeigand Před 3 lety +16

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

    • @Gun5hip
      @Gun5hip Před 3 lety +4

      @@ArtistJoshuaWeigand These would make lovely cake designs tho.

    • @leftyfourguns
      @leftyfourguns Před 3 lety +5

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

  • @eliseevensen1750
    @eliseevensen1750 Před rokem

    Stunning!

  • @melaniegardner8766
    @melaniegardner8766 Před 3 lety

    The artist and his art lives on. Exquisite!

  • @CarolynFahm
    @CarolynFahm Před 3 lety

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

  • @Delilah.Elizabeth
    @Delilah.Elizabeth Před rokem

    Beautiful! Loved the accompanying music as well! ❤

  • @sarahwig1
    @sarahwig1 Před 3 lety +3

    Beautiful!

  • @stelleldir
    @stelleldir Před 2 lety

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

  • @martinsdontjump
    @martinsdontjump Před 3 lety

    Wow. What an amazing result

  • @fatoomgierdien2181
    @fatoomgierdien2181 Před 3 lety

    Phenomenal artwork.
    Thank you

  • @heard3879
    @heard3879 Před 5 měsíci

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

  • @t.b.1596
    @t.b.1596 Před 3 lety

    What a beautiful masterpiece!

  • @Lisatheecologist
    @Lisatheecologist Před 3 lety +5

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

  • @yourkingdomcomeyourwillbedone

    A beautiful craft ❤️ really enjoyed the background music too

  • @user-wb8vi5tl1v
    @user-wb8vi5tl1v Před 3 lety +4

    Magnifico!!!

  • @donaldauguston9740
    @donaldauguston9740 Před 3 lety

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

  • @xo0Adriana0ox
    @xo0Adriana0ox Před 3 lety

    This is mindblowing!!!!

  • @DeliaLee8
    @DeliaLee8 Před 3 lety

    Wonderful!

  • @gailbolton4891
    @gailbolton4891 Před 3 lety

    Many thanks for sharing this.

  • @suzettecalleja3122
    @suzettecalleja3122 Před 3 lety +34

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

    • @lukerabin5079
      @lukerabin5079 Před 3 lety +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 Před 3 lety +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 Před 3 lety +2

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

    • @pyewackett5
      @pyewackett5 Před 3 lety +1

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

    • @markmiller3279
      @markmiller3279 Před 3 lety +3

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

  • @MariaReyes-te7lk
    @MariaReyes-te7lk Před rokem

    It's beautiful!

  • @e.jenima7263
    @e.jenima7263 Před 3 lety +1

    Now i know why morris wallpapper is so expenisive!

  • @moragmcmillan5323
    @moragmcmillan5323 Před 3 lety +1

    Magnificent

  • @zoro6318
    @zoro6318 Před 3 lety +1

    c'est trop beau ! ❤❤❤

  • @mellow5123
    @mellow5123 Před 3 lety

    Love this.

  • @amadine770
    @amadine770 Před rokem

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

  • @marcioferreira5075
    @marcioferreira5075 Před 3 lety +5

    Simplesmente fantástico 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

  • @LuliLulu
    @LuliLulu Před 3 lety +1

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

  • @julianachandler2975
    @julianachandler2975 Před 3 lety

    Amazing

  • @thomas.peru.
    @thomas.peru. Před 3 lety +1

    que belleza, me encanta el art and craft

  • @gigliolaterenna3770
    @gigliolaterenna3770 Před rokem

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

  • @caramella1181
    @caramella1181 Před 2 lety

    Wowowow 😍

  • @LambentOrt
    @LambentOrt Před 2 lety

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

  • @philipk917
    @philipk917 Před 3 lety

    fascinating and beautiful!

  • @greek_marbles394
    @greek_marbles394 Před 6 měsíci

    Willam Morris, the Craftsman

  • @jacquevanlopeznoroff8827

    Wow! Exhausting!

  • @alena.709
    @alena.709 Před 3 lety +2

    Danke schön!

  • @victoriamilonas1942
    @victoriamilonas1942 Před 3 lety +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.

  • @chuckandmax7313
    @chuckandmax7313 Před 3 lety

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

  • @campbellmorrison8540
    @campbellmorrison8540 Před 3 lety +4

    No wonder that paper is expensive! Imagine making the blocks

  • @MoPoppins
    @MoPoppins Před 8 měsíci

    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.

  • @ck7642
    @ck7642 Před 3 lety

    whoah!

  • @jadedrealist
    @jadedrealist Před 3 lety +1

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

  • @Eyagsf
    @Eyagsf Před 3 lety +1

    OMG … the patience 🙉

  • @esotericexplorersmartinez493

    ❤❤❤❤love ❤

  • @andrewgillis3073
    @andrewgillis3073 Před 3 lety +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 Před 3 lety +1

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

    • @andrewgillis3073
      @andrewgillis3073 Před 3 lety +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!

  • @ginamariakleinmartin6503

    oh my!

  • @Tulpashka
    @Tulpashka Před 10 měsíci

    👏👏👏👏👏

  • @connissia
    @connissia Před 3 lety

    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 Před 3 lety +5

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

    • @dennismitchell5276
      @dennismitchell5276 Před 5 měsíci

      ​@@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.

  • @cherylb6755
    @cherylb6755 Před 3 lety +3

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

  • @forpspeakingclass4444
    @forpspeakingclass4444 Před 3 lety +1

    This prob isnt considered asmr but its what I prefer

  • @anonymousonlineuser6543

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

  • @firouz4296
    @firouz4296 Před 3 lety +1

    This must be one of the most emotional and beautiful videos on CZcams!
    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.

  • @rupert5390
    @rupert5390 Před 3 lety

    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.

  • @AmaratMamu
    @AmaratMamu Před 3 lety

    Oh!

  • @flamencoprof
    @flamencoprof Před 3 lety

    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 Před 3 lety

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

  • @bookofdust
    @bookofdust Před 3 lety +1

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

  • @romikim4548
    @romikim4548 Před 6 měsíci

    윌리엄 모리스 블록 프린팅

  • @somewhereupthere785
    @somewhereupthere785 Před 5 měsíci

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

  • @tipakongphan3250
    @tipakongphan3250 Před 3 lety

    👍🤩🌏🌍🌎

  • @arunaniermann2003
    @arunaniermann2003 Před 3 měsíci

    Are these available for sale somewhere?

  • @joycemckeown789
    @joycemckeown789 Před 3 lety

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

    • @vamuseum
      @vamuseum  Před 3 lety

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

  • @dustinroemer5180
    @dustinroemer5180 Před 8 měsíci +1

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

  • @shortclips4267
    @shortclips4267 Před 3 lety

    Anyone knows the music ?

  • @lindapoulton2982
    @lindapoulton2982 Před rokem

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

  • @williamwoody7607
    @williamwoody7607 Před 3 lety

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

  • @Thekidfromcalifornia2.0

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

  • @preacherman9018
    @preacherman9018 Před rokem

    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.
    czcams.com/video/qv0rnnUdk-I/video.html

  • @pedrolopes3542
    @pedrolopes3542 Před 3 lety

    A pressroll would make this in less than 30 seconds.

  • @hetedeleambacht6608
    @hetedeleambacht6608 Před 10 měsíci

    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

  • @babyfefe999
    @babyfefe999 Před 3 lety

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

    • @Kim_Miller
      @Kim_Miller Před 3 lety

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

  • @uusha357
    @uusha357 Před 4 měsíci

    Hello i want to ask u

  • @gabrielnicopilario8010
    @gabrielnicopilario8010 Před 3 lety +1

    All fun and games till you discovered it has arsenic

  • @somewhereupthere785
    @somewhereupthere785 Před 5 měsíci

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

  • @ivanolsen7966
    @ivanolsen7966 Před 3 lety

    how many people died at William Morris' hands

  • @StrawB0ss
    @StrawB0ss Před 3 lety

    Fucking hell.

  • @dianaberg4335
    @dianaberg4335 Před 2 lety

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

  • @pgmreallaw
    @pgmreallaw Před 2 lety +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!

  • @petalparker5
    @petalparker5 Před 3 lety

    No wonder wallpaper so damn expersive.