Jane Morris (née Burden) also called ‘Janey’.

Embroiderer, artists’ model, costume designer.

19 October 1839 – 26 January 1914

Education

Taught herself French and Italian. Accomplished pianist. Skilled embroiderer.

Some Achievements and Interests

Worked with her husband William Morris refining embroidery techniques.

Ran the embroidery side of ‘The Firm’ (Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co).

Embroidered for friends and clients. Also produced books.

1880s and early 1890s Exhibited her work at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society.

Worked for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (set up by William Morris in 1877).

1882 Involved in the Icelandic Famine Relief Committee having travelled with her husband to Iceland.

Involved in the work of the Kelmscott Press, founded by William Morris & Emery Walker in 1891 eventually helping to wind down the business after William’s death.

Inspired Dante Rossetti who often painted her and for whom she created costumes for his paintings.

Contributed to daughter May Morris’ The Collected Works of William Morris.

Issues

As her work was unpaid, her name does not appear in company records.

Connection to Bloomsbury

1865 – 1872 Lived and worked at The Firm’s (Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co) premises at 26 Queen Square, Bloomsbury.

Female Networks

Jane Cobden, Mary De Morgan, Rosalind Howard, countess of Carlisle, and business associates and clients.

Further reading

Cooper, Suzanne Fagence; How We Might Live; Quercus publishing, 2022.

Marsh, Jan (1986). Jane and May Morris: A Biographical Story 1839–1938. London: Pandora Press. ISBN 0-86358-026-2.

Morris, Jane; Jane Morris – Wikipedia

Morris (née Burden) Jane; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; Morris [née Burden], Jane (1839–1914), embroiderer and artist’s model | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (oxforddnb.com)

Parkins, Wendy; Jane Morris: the Burden of History Edinburgh Critical Studies in Victorian Culture

Published by Edinburgh University Press, 2013