Blackthorn by William Morris

What Blackthorn shows

Blackthorn by William Morris is a dense botanical pattern that recreates the tangled growth of an English hedgerow. The design centers on thorny branches covered in small white blossoms, set across a solid dark ground. Between the branches, you can see bright blue violets, nodding maroon fritillary bells, and multi-petaled rust flowers.

Pointed green and slate-blue leaves interlock throughout the composition, filling almost every square inch of space. Sprigs of tiny white petals scatter across the field, giving the impression of spring hedgerow growth. The stems curve upward and mirror each other along a vertical axis, balancing wild natural variety with a disciplined repeating structure.

Who designed it and when

The Blackthorn pattern dates to 1892, but the historical sources differ on the designer. The design record lists William Morris as the designer, while Metropolitan Museum of Art records list John Henry Dearle with Morris approving the finished work for Morris & Co. Dearle worked closely under Morris and took over primary design duties for wallpaper and textiles during the firm’s later years.

You can learn more about the founder in our guide to William Morris and his life. Today, museum collections and print historians view Blackthorn as one of the finest late wallpapers produced by the workshop. You can browse the full collection of historic patterns across every William Morris design in the library.

How it was made and used

Morris & Co. produced Blackthorn as a block-printed wallpaper, with the printing handled by the specialist firm Jeffrey & Co. Craftsmen carved individual wood blocks for each color layer, pressing them by hand onto long paper sheets to build the intricate layered image. A surviving sample at the Metropolitan Museum of Art measures 27 by 21 1/2 inches (68.6 by 54.6 cm).

Like other intricate patterns from the firm, such as Strawberry Thief, Blackthorn was designed to bring nature into Victorian domestic rooms. Because block printing allowed dense ink coverage and sharp edges, the tangled brambles and delicate flower heads remained crisp across an entire wall surface.

Colourways

This site presents Blackthorn in one colourway, labeled Black. The name is our catalog label taken from the museum scan rather than a historic Victorian name.

The Black colourway features a deep black ground that makes the plant colors pop. Pale white star-like flowers and pale pink buds stand out in sharp contrast against the dark background, while deep red fritillaries, soft green leaves, and vivid blue petals create layers of depth. The dark field gives the design a grounded, atmospheric look that suits both traditional rooms and contemporary spaces.

Blackthorn as a print

You can order Blackthorn as a wall art print in three distinct formats, printed and shipped by ArtsyWall: Archival Paper, Premium Canvas, and Framed Canvas. Archival Paper delivers crisp linework and matte tones on heavy cotton rag paper. Premium Canvas and Framed Canvas display the dense pattern on hand-stretched archival canvas. In a floating frame, the dark background pulls the eye inward while the bright white blossoms and blue violets command immediate attention on your wall. If you prefer full-wall coverage, you can also order peel-and-stick wallpaper at williammorriswallpapers.com.