The Grammar of Ornament: A Visual Reference of Form and Colour in Architecture and the Decorative Arts - The Complete and Unabridged Full-Color
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Book Overview
A complete and unabridged full-color edition of the classic sourcebook on ornamental design First published in 1856, The Grammar of Ornament remains a design classic. Its inspiration came from pioneering British architect and designer Owen Jones (1809-1874), who produced a comprehensive design treatise for the machine age, lavishly illustrated in vivid chromolithographic color. Jones made detailed observations of decorative arts on his travels in Europe, the Middle East, and in his native London, where he studied objects on display at the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in 1851 and at local museums. His aim was to improve the quality of Western design by changing the habits of Victorian designers, who indiscriminately mixed elements from a wide variety of sources. Jones's resulting study is a comprehensive analysis of styles of ornamental design, presenting key examples ranging from Maori tattoos, Egyptian columns, and Greek borders to Byzantine mosaic, Indian embroidery, and Elizabethan carvings. At once splendidly Victorian and insistently modern, The Grammar of Ornament celebrates objects of beauty from across time periods and continents, and remains an indispensable sourcebook today.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0691172064
ISBN13:9780691172064
Release Date:July 2016
Publisher:Princeton University Press
Length:496 Pages
Weight:4.28 lbs.
Dimensions:1.6" x 8.1" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
Great Resource!!!!!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
A timeless classic this is a good reference book to have as a design student or professional.
THE Grammar has Remained an Influential Source
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Englishman Owen Jones first published his monument to design, the Grammar of Ornament, in 1856. It was originally published in installments for subscribers. Jones's illustrated plates and design motifs drew from nineteen different cultures including the ornament of Oceania, Rome, Byzantium, ancient Greece, Renaissance Italy, Rome, and Moorish Spain. The Grammar was adapted to architectural decoration, fabrics, textiles, tile design, furniture and wallpaper during the second half of the nineteenth century. It has remained influential among designers worldwide. The quirky colorways are decidedly of another era and worthy of study. I have effectively used them to thwack my creativity out of occasional dead ends or potholes. This is a respected, classic reference. It is deserving of space in every designer's reference library.
Little Gem
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I was disappointed when I first received this book. I had bought it as recommended reading for my design course and ordered it blindly. I don't know what I had expected but this wasn't it. Then, one day, I pulled it off my bookcase, looking for information on a certain type of design - and suddenly found myself enthralled with the beauty of this book. Let it not fool you, it's a beautiful little gem packed with design and information. Not a centimetre wasted.
Fabulous
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
This book is excellent for artists, web designers,students. there are well chosen designs of many countries and eras and more than just a few for each catagory.It is a reference book that is a total must.
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