The mural depicts (l to r) Adam,
Eve, Noah, Rachel and Jacob
Conservation work at the former home of designer
William Morris in south-east London has uncovered a mural in which some of
Britain's most important pre-Raphaelite artists may have had a hand.
The mural was
designed for what was the bedroom of Morris and his wife Jane.
It depicts five
biblical figures and had been concealed behind a cupboard.
Dante Gabriel
Rossetti, his wife Elizabeth Siddal, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown
were regular visitors to Morris's Bexleyheath home.
The mural shows
Adam and Eve depicted with a serpent, Noah holding a miniature ark and Rachel
and Jacob with a ladder.
"Our
initial thoughts are that the figure of Jacob was by Morris, Rachel possibly by
Elizabeth Siddal [and] Noah by Madox Brown," said Jan Marsh, president of
the William Morris Society.
Red House,
owned by the National Trust since 2003, was commissioned by Morris and designed
by Philip Webb, a fellow founder of the 19th Century arts and crafts movement.
Morris lived in
the house with Jane for five years from 1859, decorating it in a medieval style
with bright colours and strong patterns.
It took a team
of conservation specialists two months to remove the layers of wallpaper hiding
the painting from view.
House manager
James Breslin said it had been "so exciting" to uncover "such a
remarkable example of this early decoration".
Source: BBC
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