Design drawing in pen on linen by Philip Webb. The design is for the foliage and floral decorative pattern for the drawing room ceiling of 1 Palace Gardens. Webb has indicated the design is for the border at the end of the room opposite the double window. The inscription also directs the viewer to see another tracing for the rest of the border pattern that shows the difference between the border at the end and the border at the sides of the rooms. Webb elaborates that the difference lies between the flowers labelled A and A.
Philip Speakman Webb (Oxford, 1831-Sussex, 1915) was a prominent British architect who designed numerous buildings throughout Great Britain. Known for his contributions to British vernacular architecture, Webb was also a skilled draughtsman, and designer of tableware, tiles, stained glass, and furniture. He also designed gravestones and memorials for his friends and clients. Webb lent his hand to many collaborative projects and worked closely with his colleagues, namely William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edward Burne Jones. His precise drawings of animals, particularly birds, frequently adorn tiles, stained glass, textiles, and wallpaper produced by Morris and Co. Webb is best known for designing Morris’ Red House in Bexleyheath, as well as Clouds House, Naworth Castle, and several London town houses. Among his other accomplishments, Webb is attributed with laying the groundwork for the Arts and Crafts and Modern movements, establishing longstanding principles in historic preservation, and creating some of the most influential designs still studied and celebrated today.