2025 № 4 (55)

UDC 738; 74 

BBC 85.12

DOI: 10.51678/2226-0072-2025-4-412-459

For cit.: Martynova D.O. Interpretation of Persian Motifs in the Artworks of William de Morgan. Hudozhestvennaya kul’tura [Art & Culture Studies], 2025, no. 4, pp. 412-459. https://doi.org/10.51678/2226-0072-2025-4-412-459.

Martynova Daria O. 

PhD (in Art History), Senior Lecturer, Institute of History St. Petersburg State University, 5 Mendeleevskaya Line, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0426-6458 

ResearcherID: AAK-1891-2020

d.o.martynova@gmail.com

Interpretation of Persian Motifs in the Artworks of William de Morgan

Abstract. This article discusses the role of William de Morgan (1839–1917) in the development of the 19th-century English ceramic art, with a particular focus on his use of Persian motifs. To further explore this topic, the author characterizes the significance of Persian art in in the museum collections of Victorian England, as well as the concept of ‘Persian style’ and how it was interpreted by the contemporaries of the English ceramist. Additionally, the article analyses the characteristics of W. de Morgan’s figurative and artistic system which was shaped under the influence of Persian art collections and studies. The article also examines zoomorphic motifs such as scenes of birds and snakes fighting and fantastical creatures which are typical of Persian art. Through an analysis of W. de Morgan’s creative works this article identifies the unique features of his use of Persian motifs and distinguishes them from those of other regions he studied. As a result, the author has come to the conclusion that Persian motifs played a significant role in the expansion of artistic boundaries in European decorative arts during the second half of the 19th century. This material significantly enhances our understanding of decorative and applied art history of Victorian England and W. de Morgan’s artistic development.

Keywords: William de Morgan, orientalism in art, Persian art, English art, 19th-century art, decorative and applied art, reception in art, intercultural exchange

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Received 29.08.2025

Accepted 16.10.2025