Cracow thumbnail 1
Cracow thumbnail 2
Not on display

Cracow

Waistcoat
1913 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Omega Workshops were founded in 1913 by the designer and painter Roger Fry (1866-1934). He brought together a group of artists to design furniture, pottery, glass, textiles and entire schemes of interior decoration. Their radically abstract style, typified by this textile, was far ahead of its time and was influenced by developments in contemporary painting.

In keeping with the painting tradition, Fry believed that designs should not be too mechanical and should show evidence of the artist's hand. Achieving such effects on a jaquard loom which was programmed to create absolutely identical repeat patterns would have been impossible. Some irregularity is created in this case by painting or printing parts of the fabric after weaving. 'Cracow' is the only weave-patterned textile associated with the workshops, apart from carpets. It was an upholstery fabric, but in this case Joy Brown, the Omega's seamstress, used it to make an item of 'artistic' dress.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCracow (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Jacquard-woven wool and linen
Brief description
Waistcoat 'Cracow' of Jacquard-woven wool and linen, designed by Roger Fry for Omega Workshops, fabric made by A.H. Lee & Sons, England, 1913
Physical description
Waistcoat made from a Jacquard-woven woollen and linen furnishing fabric
Dimensions
  • Height: 60cm
  • Width: 60.5cm
  • Depth: 60.5cm
Credit line
Given by Mrs Joy Hedger
Historical context
The point paper design for this 'Cracow' (design no. 478), 1914 is in the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Birkenhead. It is pencil and ink on paper.
Production
Attribution note: Woven in width of 54". Price was 15/6d per yard.
Summary
The Omega Workshops were founded in 1913 by the designer and painter Roger Fry (1866-1934). He brought together a group of artists to design furniture, pottery, glass, textiles and entire schemes of interior decoration. Their radically abstract style, typified by this textile, was far ahead of its time and was influenced by developments in contemporary painting.

In keeping with the painting tradition, Fry believed that designs should not be too mechanical and should show evidence of the artist's hand. Achieving such effects on a jaquard loom which was programmed to create absolutely identical repeat patterns would have been impossible. Some irregularity is created in this case by painting or printing parts of the fabric after weaving. 'Cracow' is the only weave-patterned textile associated with the workshops, apart from carpets. It was an upholstery fabric, but in this case Joy Brown, the Omega's seamstress, used it to make an item of 'artistic' dress.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
Beyond Bloomsbury. Designs of the Omega Workshops 1913-19, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 2009, p. 130, cat. 41.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.1-1963

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Record createdSeptember 28, 2004
Record URL
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