Decorative Arts: Design since 1860 (518) Wed, 11th Apr 2018, Edinburgh Lot 62

Estimate: £3000 - £5000 + Fees JOHN HENRY DEARLE (1859-1932) FOR MORRIS & CO. 'ACANTHUS', EMBROIDERED PORTIÈRE, CIRCA 1890 silk embroidery on linen with green cotton backing, bears retailer's label MORRIS & COMPANY/ 449 OXFORD STREET/ LONDON. W. 240cm x 158cm Provenance: Purchased at Morris & Co. and by family descent Note: By 1885 William Morris had turned his attention to other ventures within the business, handing the embroidery section to his daughter May, herself a talented embroiderer and passionate advocate of the Arts and Crafts movement. Whilst a majority of the designs produced for the firm were direct creations of William Morris, he was adept at handing on the reigns to a team of skilled draughtsmen who produced designs for many important commissions, none more so than John Henry Dearle. Dearle began his career with the firm as a shop assistant at 449 Oxford Street in 1878. Recognising the young man's potential during his apprenticeship, Morris allowed Dearle to create fabric details and floral backgrounds for many of his designs. The pair opened a tapestry workshop at Queen Square shortly after and by 1890, at the age of 31, Dearle was Head Designer of the firm and responsible for handling the company's commissions for house decorative schemes. Under the guidance of May Morris, Dearle produced a series of portières featuring some of his most recognisable designs, including Owl (circa1895) now on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Whilst his artistic style always remains loyal to William Morris' aesthetic, the 1890s mark a clear attempt from Dearle to develop a mature, more individual artistic vision. Morris' early embroidery work typically features repeating patterns, yet in Acanthus, Dearle opts for a different design approach: a singular central acanthus motif which grounds the piece. He surrounds this dominating feature with a sensation for the eyes: interlocking vines and swirls of vibrantly coloured flowers. Among them are two of Dearle's most distinctive designs: the pointed-headed tulip and dark veining on various flowers and leaves. Designed on linen and embroidered in silk using a dazzling array of colours, the quality of the piece remains in keeping with the Arts and Crafts tradition, valuing the skills of the craftsman over industrial machinery. Another example of this portière exists in the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Their version was embroidered by Mary Isobel Barr Smith: a woman from wealthy and influential family who furnished a great number of their homes with Morris & Co. fabrics and furnishings.