Art and Forbidden Fruit: Hidden Passion in the Life of William Morris By John Le Bourgeois A sharp and provocative study of the life and works of the 19th Century artist and designer William Morris, revealing new insights into the links between his relationships and his artistic inspiration. ISBN-13: 9780718830595 Specifications: 234x156mm, 152pp, Paperback Price: £17.50 • US$37.50 Publication: September 2006 Order this Title Now

About this Book

William Morris is one of the most admired figures of the Victorian era. Studies of his Art and his life fill the shelves of libraries. Yet for all this accessibility, an air of uncertainty has always clouded his image. Since Morris’s death, biographers and scholars have portrayed the artist as a victim, bound to an adulterous wife. In Art and Forbidden Fruit, John Le Bourgeois lifts this veil of appearances, and shows the truth about Morris’s life.

In a close analysis of Morris’s poetry and biography, the author asserts the early existence of an emotional attachment between William Morris and his sister Emma, and how she became the principal source of his inspiration. Le Bourgeois follows the paths of Morris the artist and Morris the man, and points out the links between the poet’s love for his sister and his evolution as an artist.

Art and Forbidden Fruit provides a highly original biography of William Morris that offers a new perspective on his life and a fresh interpretation of his art by a specialist.

Reviews and Comments

"John Le Bourgeois ventures a radical reinterpretation of the marriage between William Morris and Jane Burden, whose adulterous relationship to Dante Gabriel Rossetti always has been mediated for us by his poems and paintings devoted to her. Le Bourgeois convincingly suggests that Morris himself was culpable, because of his repressed passion for his sister Emma. ... Le Bourgeois' book is responsible and poignant, and has altered my understanding of this tangled web."
Harold Bloom

"Through an inspired reading of Morris’ poems and letters and from the testimonies of his friends and relatives, Le Bourgeois shows how Morris’ love for his sister was a controlling passion of his life and the inspiration for much of his work. ... For the legions of Morris scholars and devotees, this new biography will be of great interest and will generate controversy."
Charles Israel, The State

About the Author

Dr John Le Bourgeois taught English and European History at the Clemson University and later worked for many years in the banking sector. From 1988 to 2005, he was the Associate Dean at the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University.

He has published many articles on William Morris and other prominent figures of the Victorian era. He is now retired and lives with his wife Mimi in Swarthmore, USA.