Inside Standen House: William Morris | HENI Talks

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
— William Morris

The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century transformed England beyond recognition, turning a country of farmers into factory workers. It was a world ‘which saw the rich getting richer and the poor getting very much poorer’. The artist, designer and political radical, William Morris, brought together a group of colleagues to challenge the ‘dishonest’ mechanisation of factory goods and restore the importance of craftsmanship, quality and ‘truthfulness’ through design.

Art historian Abigail Harrison-Moore visits the National Trust’s Standen house, one of the most charming examples of Arts and Crafts workmanship in the UK, and explores its surprisingly pioneering spirit – from the use of electric lighting to its role in the Suffragette movement.
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Produced by HENI.

Additional creative commons information:
Philip Speakman Webb
Charles Fairfax Murray, 1873
NPG 4310
© National Portrait Gallery, London
(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

#ArtsandCrafts #WilliamMorris #HENITalks

[chriskappert]

I am a 60 year old Dutchman now, and I discovered a book in the libary about A&C some 25 years ago, and was stunned !
I started redoing my house from top to bottom in this stile with a Dutch flavor .
Dark oak furniture, Delftware, plastered walls in soft yellow, the Cottage-stile so to say .
Most furniture is designed by myself and made by professionals .
There is an absolute minimum of plastic stuff, if possible only natural materials .
On to this day I still love this stile and are devoted to it for life .
Thank you William and friends !

[smaragdvono]

I have an oral exam tomorrow with the main focus on the Arts and Crafts Movement and William Morrisis designs including the red house. I was really annoyed by the topic before I stumbled across this video. Thank you for explaining everything so beautifully and interesting. I wish our teacher would have introduced the topic to us in such a nice way. Now I kind of really want to pay the Red House a visit and see for myself.

[keensab]

Beauty and functionality, are to me, two of the most important ingredients of architecture and landscape.

[Mosaleah]

What a wonderful production. Diane Vreeland once wrote that "the eye has to travel". The beautiful furnishings, fabrics and architecture in this home (and of this period) certainly allow for extensive travels for these eyes.

[Bmarker]

Beautifully produced and narrated by a knowledgeable and impassioned historian. Very much enjoyed this. Well done.

[gloriahanes]

I have one piece of William Morris furniture, and I was struck by the detailing and fine lines. Not knowing it was William Morris until further observation, and I am truly grateful.

[FRASERMCGREGOR]

This is heaven to me. You are a wonderful importer of knowledge. I loved every second of your passion coming through your words and research. Thank you!

[elviramcintosh]

Loved it, thanks for sharing. Morris is not Morris without the Co. They, Morris AND his partners, truly embraced the deeper meaning of Beauty both in art AND craftsmanship. Yes, a barn often is as awe inspiring as a cathedral in terms of careful design, utility and beauty. I particularly loved the connection between the presenter's childhood personal experiences with the Standen house, where her uncle was the gardener. It is then easy to see how a safe and happy childhood can influence a choice of career for an adult. Well done!

[duskbloom]

I’ve always loved looking at William Morris fabrics, so this video was quite an eye opener. He started and built a company, had a massive home built for him which very few people could afford… even today, he had servants, and produced products which only the rich could afford. He was a very successful socialist.

[aguedanoriega]

What an admirable artist William Morris was, how important is to bring beauty to common life. Art should be available for everybody not only for rich people.

[wendysalter]

And yet Morris's art/crafts became a privilege of the wealthy purely because of its intrinsic value of superb quality and depth of design, and the loss of anything comparable today. Morris's designs and creations fill the soul with warmth and comfort.

[chrissythornhill]

How fortunate to discover this little gem of a video . The professor gives a wonderful insight into the thinking of William and his partners which although some may find way to disapprove I'm personally indebted to to the idea of usefulness and beauty . No bad mantra to hold dear, even for the cynical .
Beauty is short lived, but usefulness survives, when it's taken care of, much like humanity.

[lindahind]

Just putting zippers in some auction pillows of William Morris fabric! I live in a very plain Arts and Crafts house in Canada and wish I could afford his wallpapers designs. Just beautiful!

[TallCloverFarm]

What a stunning and informative video, bringing to life the ethos of a movement we still revere today. The narrator was exceptionally compelling and knowledgeable.

[a-]

This house has to have been the inspiration for a hundred or more 2-story public schools in my home city of Sydney Australia-- which were built around the same time, and are still in use today. I learned to read and write under the daylight pouring through such massive windows (electric lights were not turned on during the daytime in those days!) The super-high ceilings, the tall multipane sash windows, the roller blinds and the taupe-coloured bricks and cream paint trim of this house are identical. Clearly this was a very influential design.

[magicknight]

It is so inspiring and heartwarming how she is so passionate about the design and history. I love art history and the arts and crafts movement!

[debrap]

Really enjoyed this. Finding so many treasures during covid.

[shayana.]

William Morris designs and creativity fill the inner soul with a great warm and comfort.

[jeanwillis]

Truly love Standen, love the ‘Trellis’ design I’ve been each time I’ve come across from Canada.🇨🇦

[hossenfeffer]

A stunningly beautiful film, reverently done. Thank you