Background:
These original chromolithograph prints are from the second edition of Owen Jones'
(1809-1874) Grammar of Ornament. Jones, a London born architect and
designer, was one of the most influential design theorist's of the nineteenth century, and
a pivotal figure in the formation of the South Kensington Museum (known today as the
Victoria and Albert, or V&A).
The Grammar of Ornament is based on
Jones' theories on decoration and ornamentation and serves to provide examples - both
historically and geographically - to encourage designers to examine the principles behind
the styles in the course of their own work.
Jones' theories led to his definition of 37
"general principles in the arrangement of form and colour, in architecture and the
decorative arts". Example: "Proposition 8 - All ornament should be
based upon a geometrical construction." Each print is provided with a copy of
Jones' principles.
The prints presented here reflect ornament
styles from the Celtic, Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.
"Form without colour is like a body
without a soul" - Owen Jones |