Trellis by William Morris

Trellis

William Morris · 1864

Scroll

“Step into a Victorian garden with this charming wallpaper design. It captures a love for nature and craftsmanship, transforming a simple trellis into a vibrant, repeating pattern for the home.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

This wallpaper design, "Trellis," draws you into a meticulously ordered garden, a vision of nature tamed and celebrated. The pattern features climbing roses and honeysuckle vines, their leaves and blossoms intricately woven around a geometric lattice. Notice how the birds perch among the branches, their forms rendered with a charming, almost naive simplicity that contrasts with the detailed botanical elements. Created in 1864, this piece reflects a desire to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside, transforming domestic spaces with artful, natural motifs. The block-printing technique, using distemper colors, gives the design a soft, matte finish, enhancing its hand-crafted feel and emphasizing the flat, decorative quality that was central to the aesthetic of its time.

DETAILS
Artist
William Morris
Date
1864
Medium
Block-printed in distemper colors
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
Sheet: 27 x 21 1/2 in. (68.6 x 54.6 cm)
Collection
Drawings and Prints
Credit line
Purchase, Edward C. Moore Jr. Gift, 1923
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Trellis
01

The delicate pink and red roses climbing the trellis.

02

Small, perching birds with simplified forms.

03

The intricate green leaves of the honeysuckle vines.

04

The repeating geometric pattern of the wooden trellis.

+1

1 more detail is waiting.

See all 5 in Art Whisper →
AUDIO DEEP DIVE

Stand in front of it and listen

The full narration walks you through Trellis — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.

0:00Preview · 0:30Free preview · 0:30 Hear the full story in the app
THE ARTIST
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Arts and Crafts movement

See the movement →
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Morris and Arts and Crafts movement: works from the same years.

Hear Trellis’s storyFree in the Art Whisper app Open