Chinese No. 3 Plate 61

Owen Jones (1809-1874)

Chinese No. 3 Plate LXI

From: The Grammar of Ornament 

London: 1856

Chromolithograph

Sheet Dimension: 12.5 x 8.5 in.

Frame Dimension: 19.75 x 15.5 in. 

Owen Jones was one of the most influential tastemakers of the Victorian era. Trained as an architect, designer and design theorist, he embarked on pioneering studies of colour theory, geometry and form.

Grammar of Ornament was a monumental publishing project that achieved standards of colour printing never seen before. Being a self-funded project, Jones worked with lithographers Day & Sun to produce a lavish folio that highlighted stunning patterns, motifs and ornaments in 112 illustrated plates. He turned to the new and expensive technique of chromolithography- an elaborate method of printing required up to 20 separate lithographic stones and drawings, one for each colour. These were then printed one over the other, creating multiple layers to form the finished plate. Each intricate illustration explored design principles behind the architecture, textiles, manuscripts and decorative arts of 19 diverse cultural periods.