Charles Voysey was one of the most original and influential architects and designers of all forms of decorative art working at the end of the 19th century. In 1882 he set up his own architecture practice and from the late 1880s started to design repeating patterns for wallpaper and woven and printed textiles and carpets.
This design probably appeared in the 1888 Arts and Crafts Exhibition in London. The show was a great success and received wide publicity, even in mainland Europe. Experts still argue about how much influence Voysey and his fellow designers had on the development of the Art Nouveau style. Voysey was an austere man, and could not accept that he had any part to play in the development of the exuberant European version of the style. However, his dramatic large-scale floral shapes do seem to have influenced the Art Nouveau posters and graphics by the Czech designer Alphonse Mucha.
Voysey’s most interesting designs date from this time and are dominated by flowing patterns incorporating pastel-coloured birds, animals, hearts, flowers and trees. He sold his work to manufacturers such as G. P. & J. Baker, Thomas Wardle and Alexander Morton. This design was probably sold through Liberty’s, London.
Physical description
Bed cover of block-printed fine 'art silk' hanging with a specially designed border on three sides. The cover shows a bold repeating design of hanging and upturned orange poppy heads with curving knotted golden stems on a dark blue ground. The border shows opening poppy buds with intricately knotted stems in the same colouring. There are orange stripes dividing the border from the central design. The hanging was made from two widths of silk seamed down the centre before printing. There are selvedges on either side edge.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
Date
ca. 1895 (made)
1888 (designed)
Artist/maker
voysey, born 1857 - died 1941 (designer)
G.P. & J. Baker (maker)
Materials and Techniques
Block-printed on fine silk
Dimensions
Height: 197 cm, Width: 180 cm, Height: 117 in, Width: 71 in
Object history note
Purchased. Registered File number 1986/31.
The pattern was deisgned by Voysey in 1888 and printed by Baker Ltd at their Swaisland Print Works which they acquired in 1893. The original watercolour design is in the Museum's collection (E.61-1961).
One of a group of finely printed silk bedcovers and hangings sold through fashionable London shops, such as Libertys, Heals and Storys, at the end of the nineteenth century. For two other examples in the Museum's Collection see T.157-1985 and T.5-1987.
Descriptive line
Bed cover of block-printed fine silk, designed by C.F.A. Voysey in 1888, printed by G.P. & J. Baker Ltd. at their Swaisland Print Works, England, ca. 1895
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Parry, Linda. Textiles of the Arts & Crafts Movement. London: Thames & Hudson, 1988. Pl. 57
Illustration
Livingstone, Karen Livingstone & Linda Parry, eds. International Arts & Crafts . London: V&A Publications, 2005, p.68.
Jahrbuch der Staatlichen en Kunstsammlungen in Baden-Wurttenberg, 18-1981, illust. 27, p. 204
A sample of a similar hanging in the Wurttembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart (1980-221)
Exhibition History
Life and Art: Arts and Crafts from Morris to Mingei (Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya 12/06/2009-16/08/2009)
Life and Art: Arts and Crafts from Morris to Mingei (Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo 24/01/2009-05/04/2009)
Life and Art: Arts and Crafts from Morris to Mingei (The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto 13/09/2008-09/11/2008)
International Arts & Crafts (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 18/06/2006-18/08/2006)
International Arts & Crafts (Indianapolis Museum of Art 27/09/2005-22/01/2006)
International Arts & Crafts (Victoria and Albert Museum 17/03/2005-24/07/2005)
Textiles of the Arts and Crafts Movement (Victoria and Albert Museum 01/10/1888-30/06/1988)
Labels and date
International Arts & Crafts
From the late 1880s onwards Voysey drew an enormous number of repeating designs for wallpapers, carpets and textiles. He sold them to leading manufacturers and to shops such as Liberty's in London and Wylie & Lochead in Glasgow. In two instances, he was under contract to supply a certain number of designs a year. This provided a regular income. [17/03/2005]
Production Note
Printed by Baker Ltd at their Swaisland Print Works
Materials
Silk (textile)
Techniques
Weaving; Block printing
Subjects depicted
Flowers; Leaves; Stripes
Categories
Textiles; Interiors
Collection code
T&F
