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