Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Wallpaper

ca. 1852-1874 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Owen Jones (1809-1874) was a prolific designer of wallpapers. His designs drew heavily on his anthology of historic decorative motifs, published as The Grammar of Ornament (1856). However, unlike his contemporary, the architect and designer A.W.N. Pugin, Jones did not believe that one could simply reproduce past styles in a modern context. He believed that architecture and design should be of its time, but that it should look to the ornamental art of the past for inspiration. Though the forms he used were often naturalistic, he reduced them to flat forms in patterns based on his notion of ‘geometrical construction’. In his essay of 1852, ‘Colour in the Decorative Arts’ (published in George Shaw’s On the Manufacture of Glass), he wrote that ‘paper hangings should not call attention to themselves, but remain as a background for the paintings, engravings, and other art works’. Yet his wallpapers are characterised by strong colours in uncommon combinations, devised in accordance with his own colour theories.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Colour woodblock print, on paper
Brief description
Specimen of wallpaper with a brick repeat pattern of formalised floral motifs, suggestive of a scale pattern, in green and shades of purple, on a pale ground; Colour woodblock print on paper; Within a pattern book (8341.1-158); Designed by Owen Jones; Produced by Townsend, Parker & Co.; England; ca. 1852-1874.
Physical description
Specimen of wallpaper with a brick repeat pattern of formalised floral motifs, suggestive of a scale pattern, in green and shades of purple, on a pale ground; Colour woodblock print on paper; Within a pattern book (8341.1-158).
Dimensions
  • Height: 45cm
  • Width: 52.8cm
Style
Credit line
Given by Miss Catherine Jones, sister of the artist
Subjects depicted
Summary
Owen Jones (1809-1874) was a prolific designer of wallpapers. His designs drew heavily on his anthology of historic decorative motifs, published as The Grammar of Ornament (1856). However, unlike his contemporary, the architect and designer A.W.N. Pugin, Jones did not believe that one could simply reproduce past styles in a modern context. He believed that architecture and design should be of its time, but that it should look to the ornamental art of the past for inspiration. Though the forms he used were often naturalistic, he reduced them to flat forms in patterns based on his notion of ‘geometrical construction’. In his essay of 1852, ‘Colour in the Decorative Arts’ (published in George Shaw’s On the Manufacture of Glass), he wrote that ‘paper hangings should not call attention to themselves, but remain as a background for the paintings, engravings, and other art works’. Yet his wallpapers are characterised by strong colours in uncommon combinations, devised in accordance with his own colour theories.
Bibliographic references
  • Oman, Charles C. and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
  • Saunders, Gill. Wallpaper in Interior Decoration. V&A Publications. London. 2002. pp. 108. pl 90.
  • Julius Bryant, ed. Art and Design for All. The Victoria and Albert Museum London: V&A Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 9781851776665.
Collection
Accession number
8341:57

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 14, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest