Bed Cover
ca. 1895 (made), 1888 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
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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.
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.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Block-printed on fine silk |
| Brief description | 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 |
| 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. |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | 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. |
| Production | Printed by Baker Ltd at their Swaisland Print Works |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | 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. |
| Associated object | E.61-1961 (Design) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.5-1986 |
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| Record created | January 28, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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