The Grammar of Ornament
c. 1855-6 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Grammar of Ornament, 1856
19th-century Britain was dominated by historical revivals such as Neoclassicism and the Gothic Revival. These design movements were riddled with religious and social connotations. Instead, Owen Jones sought a modern style with none of this cultural baggage. Setting out to identify the common principles behind the best examples of historical ornament, he formulated a design language that was suitable for the modern world, one which could be applied equally to wallpapers, textiles, furniture, metalwork and interiors.
Owen Jones finessed his theories on decorative design through various articles and lectures. He had helped organise the School of Design's teaching collections but was aware that many designers had limited access to these objects and to his teaching. He therefore decided to publish his ground-breaking design manual The Grammar of Ornament as a summary of his design theories. It would act as a collection of the 'best' examples of ornament and decoration from other cultures and other periods.
The V&A holds in its collection many of Owen Jones' original drawings for The Grammar of Ornament.
19th-century Britain was dominated by historical revivals such as Neoclassicism and the Gothic Revival. These design movements were riddled with religious and social connotations. Instead, Owen Jones sought a modern style with none of this cultural baggage. Setting out to identify the common principles behind the best examples of historical ornament, he formulated a design language that was suitable for the modern world, one which could be applied equally to wallpapers, textiles, furniture, metalwork and interiors.
Owen Jones finessed his theories on decorative design through various articles and lectures. He had helped organise the School of Design's teaching collections but was aware that many designers had limited access to these objects and to his teaching. He therefore decided to publish his ground-breaking design manual The Grammar of Ornament as a summary of his design theories. It would act as a collection of the 'best' examples of ornament and decoration from other cultures and other periods.
The V&A holds in its collection many of Owen Jones' original drawings for The Grammar of Ornament.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Title | The Grammar of Ornament (series title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Original drawing by Owen Jones for 'The Grammar of Ornament'. Britain, 1856. |
| Summary | The Grammar of Ornament, 1856 19th-century Britain was dominated by historical revivals such as Neoclassicism and the Gothic Revival. These design movements were riddled with religious and social connotations. Instead, Owen Jones sought a modern style with none of this cultural baggage. Setting out to identify the common principles behind the best examples of historical ornament, he formulated a design language that was suitable for the modern world, one which could be applied equally to wallpapers, textiles, furniture, metalwork and interiors. Owen Jones finessed his theories on decorative design through various articles and lectures. He had helped organise the School of Design's teaching collections but was aware that many designers had limited access to these objects and to his teaching. He therefore decided to publish his ground-breaking design manual The Grammar of Ornament as a summary of his design theories. It would act as a collection of the 'best' examples of ornament and decoration from other cultures and other periods. The V&A holds in its collection many of Owen Jones' original drawings for The Grammar of Ornament. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1642 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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