The Grammar of Ornament

by Owen Jones

Overview

This classic book is considered the definitive guide to ornamental design. Containing over 2,000 original engravings complete with informative and insightful descriptions, this wonderful book is a must-have for enthusiasts of ethnographic art, and constitutes an invaluable tool for those working in jewellery, fashion, interior design, or textiles. Providing insights into the history and modern popularity of these ethnographic patterns, this book is informative and beautiful in equal measures, making it a great addition to collections of allied literature. Owen Jones (1809 - 1874) was an English-born Welsh architect who is considered to be one of the most influential design theorists of the nineteenth century. Originally published in 1856, this book has been chosen for republication due to its cultural and educational value. Many vintage texts such as this are increasingly hard to come by and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781445566238
Publisher:	Deutsch Press
Publication date:	04/02/2010
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Owen Jones was an architect and designer who taught at the South Kensington School of Design, London, during the 1850s and served as joint architect of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The following year he was appointed Director of Decorations for the new Crystal Palace exhibition in Sydenham, south London. The Grammar of Ornament, his legacy to designers, quickly acquired the status of a classic. He died in 1874. Iain Zaczek, who has contributed the commentaries, is an art historian who graduated from Wadham College, Oxford University, and the Courtauld Institute, London. He has written on a wide variety of topics, but his special interest is in nineteenth-century art. He is the author of The Essential William Morris, The Essential Art Deco, and The Art of Illuminated Manuscripts.