{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O822756"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O822756/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O822756","accessionNumber":"E.1842-1920","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"The Head rising up","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"E.1810 to 1843-1920 are 33 illustrations from 'The Story of Cupid and Psyche', a suite of wood engravings made for an illustrated edition of <i>The Earthly Paradise</i> by William Morris in 1866. <i>The Earthly Paradise</i> was an epic poem containing 24 tales from Classical and Norse mythology. Friend and collaborator Edward Burne-Jones designed the illustrations as well as producing several watercolour compositions from the narrative. 44 of his designs were cut on wood, mostly by Morris, and a number of proof impressions of the wood engravings were printed.\n\r\nThe lavishly illustrated book was planned as a foolscap folio to be accompanied by Morris’ text. However, the project was subsequently abandoned, possibly because of Morris’ difficulty finding a typeface that suited his aesthetic aspirations. Given that Cupid and Psyche was only one tale from the epic poem, it was a project ambitious in its scope. These wood engravings are the earliest book illustrations produced by Morris, marking the beginning of his interest in book production which would culminate in the founding of the Kelmscott Press over twenty years later in 1890.\n\r\n<i>The Earthly Paradise: A Poem</i>, unillustrated except for one wood engraving as its frontispiece, was published in four volumes in a standard typeface by Frederick Startridge Ellis in 1868.\n\r\nThroughout the 1870s Morris continued to experiment with calligraphy, producing his own labour-intensive illustrated manuscripts, including<i> A Book of Verse</i>, dedicated to Georgiana Burne-Jones with illustrations by Edward Burne-Jones (in the National Art Library collection, MSL/1953/131). He wrote in ornamental Gothic scripts and learned how to gild letters. He developed an understanding of incorporating appropriate illustration with text. He wanted to design his own typeface but found the technical aspect of generating hand-cut metal punches for the letterpress type difficult.\n\r\nIn 1888 Morris attended a lecture on typeface design at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society; it was delivered by Emery Walker who had extensive experience in printing and ran a photo-engraving business, and it was his suggestion of using projection technology that allowed Morris to develop intricate type at normal size and reduce it down for accurate replication on steel punches. This development led to Morris developing his own typefaces; ‘Golden’ was established in 1890, the same year Kelmscott Press was founded. It was a Roman type, based on a 15th century Venetian font. ‘Troy’ followed a year later, a Gothic type which was inspired by the work of 15th century German printers.\n\r\nE.1815-1920 is a duplicate wood engraving of E.1814-1920, but with added letterpress text set beneath the illustration. The text has been printed in Morris’ Troy type; this indicates that it was not printed until after 1890 and, importantly, that Morris was still pursuing ways to produce the illustrated book ‘The Story of Cupid and Psyche’ by the time of the Kelmscott Press.\n\r\nE.30-31-1955 are preparatory pencil sketches for two wood engravings in the Cupid and Psyche cycle by Edward Burne-Jones.\n\r\nThe original 44 wood engravings for ‘The Story of Cupid and Psyche’, were eventually printed and published in 1974 by Clover Hill Editions, Cambridge.","physicalDescription":"Wood engraving depicting Charon rowing a boat on the river Styx to transport Psyche. Psyhe sits at the end of the boat with a small casket next to her.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Morris, William","id":"A8676"},"association":{"text":"print-makers","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Burne-Jones, Edward Coley (Sir)","id":"A8203"},"association":{"text":"after","id":"THES283471"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"wood-engraving","id":"AAT53303"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood engraving on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Myths and legends","id":"THES49005"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"I","shelf":"111","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"prints","id":"AAT41273"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1866","earliest":"1861-01-01","latest":"1870-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"11.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"9/5/2016","earliest":"2016-05-09","latest":"2016-05-09"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"9/5/2016","earliest":"2016-05-09","latest":"2016-05-09"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Illustration to 'The Story of Cupid & Psyche', wood engraving by William Morris from a design by Edward Burne-Jones for Morris' book <i>The Earthly Paradise</i>, England, ca.1866","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1920</u>, London: HMSO, 1922."},{"reference":{"text":"Morris, William, Edward Coley Burne-Jones et al., Clover Hill Editions, and Rampant Lions Press. The Story of Cupid and Psyche. Copies numbered 1 to 270. London: Clover Hill Editions, 1974.","id":"AUTH410731"},"details":"v.1. Introduction, v.2. The poem with the engravings","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Cupid","id":"N31"},{"text":"Psyche","id":"N211"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1842-1920"],"accessionNumberNum":"1842","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1920,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-22","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}