Design for a room
Design
1885 (made)
1885 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This striking design tried to create a modern style for the late 1800s. However, Lethaby has included in it features drawn from earlier periods in history. The vaulted ceiling and tall panelling are inspired by country houses designed in the 'Old English' or neo-Jacobean style. This was a new (neo) version of the original Jacobean style of architecture that had been used in Britain from about 1600-1650. The decoration, furniture and other ornaments are based on examples from Ancient Greece. The stark flat marble fireplace is decorated with the symbols of the four elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This drawing probably appeared at the first exhibition of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in 1888. It may have been called `Design for the decoration of a room in panelling and paint'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Design for a room (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and brown ink, watercolour and coloured chalks, heightened with white |
| Brief description | Design for a room in the Arts and Crafts style, by W.R. Lethaby, Great Britain, 1885 |
| Physical description | This striking design is an example of the artist's attempts to create a modern style for the late nineteenth century. The design depicts an interior with a fireplace and barrel-vaulted ceiling; the decorative motifs, furniture, and other ornaments are chiefly Ancient Greek. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Signed and dated in red chalk with monogram) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This striking design tried to create a modern style for the late 1800s. However, Lethaby has included in it features drawn from earlier periods in history. The vaulted ceiling and tall panelling are inspired by country houses designed in the 'Old English' or neo-Jacobean style. This was a new (neo) version of the original Jacobean style of architecture that had been used in Britain from about 1600-1650. The decoration, furniture and other ornaments are based on examples from Ancient Greece. The stark flat marble fireplace is decorated with the symbols of the four elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This drawing probably appeared at the first exhibition of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in 1888. It may have been called `Design for the decoration of a room in panelling and paint'. |
| Bibliographic reference | Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1990 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.199-1990 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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