Walter Crane and William Morris were friends and colleagues who shared the same artistic and political interests.  They were largely in agreement about their aims and   were active in the same political movement.  They had similar ideas about the role of the Arts and Crafts in Life and were working towards the same objectives.  Like Morris, Crane created a vast number of two-dimensional surface pattern designs for wallpaper, printed fabric, tiles and ceramics.

Crane’s work also appeared on posters, pamphlets, and other ephemera, and trade union banners. His work was well known on the Continent where he was a highly regarded artist, particularly in Italy and Germany.  Crane taught Art & Design at Manchester School of Art and, in 1898, Crane was appointed head of the Royal College of Art.

Caput Apri Defero by Walter Crane, 1895