An active socialist from 1883, for a few years his paintings had social undertones, then from 1887 they showed the forces of nature in elemental play.
Morris
Now known as one of the leading illustrators of children’s books, he was also an accomplished and recognised painter. Here are some narratives from his early career.
Perceval’s sister dies to save the life of a lady, Lancelot achieves the grail, then Galahad, Bors and Perceval do, but only one of them lives to tell the tale.
Lancelot is tricked into getting Elaine pregnant with Galahad. When grown up, Galahad is knighted and welcomed to the Round Table in time for a vision of the Holy Grail and the start of the quest.
Tristram and Isode soon became lovers, and King Mark flew into a rage. Tristram escaped death, then became mad. After they were reconciled, Mark murdered the knight.
Two major works in his later years: ‘Work’, showing a crowded street in Victorian London, and 12 large murals for Manchester Town Hall.
The daughter of a Jamaican slave, William Morris’s wife, three Greek cousins known as the Three Graces – all muses and models for Pre-Raphaelites.
The story behind the commissioning of Edward Burne-Jones to paint his monumental series telling the story of Perseus and Andromeda.
His most famous painting, ‘Work’, inspired by the ideas of Thomas Carlyle, and a possibly unique example of multiplex narrative after William Hogarth.
A member of the Seven & Five group, when it moved towards abstract art in 1934, she resigned to pursue her individual style.
The Eclectic Light Company 