William De Morgan (1839 - 1917)
William De Morgan was the most important ceramic artist of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His family were of French Hugenot descent. He attended the Royal Academy Schools and studied alongside Frederick Walker and Simeon Solomon. Henry Holiday was also in his circle and it was he who first introduced De Morgan to William Morris. After his studies he turned his attention to the decorative arts and began experimenting with stained glass.
William Morris had not been successful with ceramics so in 1863 De Morgan and Edward Burne Jones took over the tile printing side of Morris's works. De Morgan then began designing his own tiles and set up his own pottery. He and Morris remained life long friends.