I do not have much more to add, but I was struck by the number of similar compositions to Godfrey Blount's Tree of Life hanging that were being produced at around the same time.
May Morris' embroidery featured trees with sweeping curves up their stems as shown in the 1893 hanging below and is also observed in her 1896 work 'The Orchard'.
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| A bed hanging from William Morris' bed at Kelmscott Manor, designed by his daughter, May Morris, assisted with Lily Yeats and Ellen Wright c.1893 |
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| detail of The Pigeon, designed by J.H. Dearle, c.1895 made by a Mrs Battye from a William Morris kit in 1898 Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Tree of Life by Godfrey Blount, 1896 Victoria and Albert Museum |
Echoing the simplistic design is M.H. Baillie Scott's screen in the same year, 1896, with a very straight tree trunk.
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| Detail of screen panel by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott c.1896 Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Detail of 'Duleek' curtain designed by C.F.A. Voysey 1896, made by Alexander Morton & Co. Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Cushion cover panel designed by The Silver Studio and Liberty's Victoria and Albert Museum |
Two very interesting posts. Although the Morris hanging is beautiful, I think I prefer the simplicity of Blount`s design.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Although Godfrey Blount didn't hold back on writing about things(!), I have not found anything he has written or said to explain why he depicted the images that he did in his tapestries.
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