Victorian interiors
The reign of the Queen Victoria, between 1837 and 1901, was a time of industrial development, was a time of great social, economic transformation and change of system of values within the society. Lots of inventions gave a beginning of power, agriculture, textiles industry, iron industry or transport revolutions. New technologies as artificial light, phone, casted iron and stained glass gave rise to many factories, manufactories, warehouses or smaller shops. Capitalisation of society, reclassification and the birth of new social class, known as middle class or bourgeoisie (upper class), increased request for goods and mechanisations of many sectors of industry made production on mass scale and relatively inexpensive. Dynamism of transition was stimulated by occurrence of some political and cultural events, for example, the Great Exhibition in 1851 which was a manifestation of Industrial Revolution of 19th century England.
Mentioned events and popularisation of new, wealthiest and fashionable lifestyle by much common newspapers and cultural magazines had huge impact on home decoration area. Followed by mass production of interiors stuffs, many of them were lacking taste, because most of manufactories were possessed by merchants not by artist. Reminiscence of previous styles in art as neoclassicism or Greek – revival, gave a beginning of next revivals styles such as gothic, renaissance, rococo or others. Thus, now, art decoration became not only really common but also was influenced by most of previous styles heightened by oriental, Japanese or Chinese elements. It was a feather in the cap of Victorian era, multi stylishness, called eclectic, it was Victorian Style.
Typical Victorian house was quite neatly and strictly divided into rooms for public or private space, but arguably the most important there was a formal parlor in which, wealthy citizens had leaded indolent social life. At a glance Victorian interiors was cluttered, heavy ornamented, over furnished with dark colours. Loved colours were rich as ruby reds, forest green, purple, blue and sombre gray for stair halls, hallways or entry halls. According to contemporary colours theory, colours were used by analogy of colours laying next to each other on the colour wheel or by contrast with colours laying opposite on the colour wheel. Sometimes in the country variations of Victorian style pastel colours were used such as pinks, pale greens, peaches and mauve.
Walls were treated as tripartite with dado, field in the middle and frieze or cornice with mainly used wallpapers or fabrics sometimes. Wallpapers were patterned in fruits, floral and geometrical motifs, the most known were created by William Morris. In this place duality of Victorian decorative objects has to be mentioned. First once were mass, machine-made and cheap, often poor quality, and other ones were designed and made by artist identified with The Art and Crafts movements such as William Morris, Phillip Webb, Christopher Dresser or Charles Rennie Mackintosh whose works were examples of great craftsmanship and finally were stand apart from main Victorian style. Ceilings were decorated with mouldings made from paper mache, designed in rococo scroll or classical swags, for example. Other characteristic materials of this era were textiles and fabrics, used as a window treatments, upholstery, rugs and furniture coverings. It was also richly patterned in similar way as wall papers.
The most spectacular were windows treatments with fantastic fringed draped and trimmer velvets, damasks, muslin, cottons or chintz, with tiebacks. Depending of place the floors were designed with geometrical and floral pattern tiles or marble on the halls or parquet and covered with oriental rugs or carpets in the rooms, also runners on the stairs and narrow corridors were used. Skirting boards were about 30 cm high and 4 cm thick. Very important aspects of Victorian decoration were metalwork and stained glass as a symbol and reflection of industrial era and new technological achievements. Casted iron was used as beds frames, lamps shapes, fireplaces equipment, doorknobs or drawer pulls. Stained glass, for example, was used as windows or doors glass, part of chandeliers, table lamps or just other decorative objects. In distinction to previous epoch, fireplaces in Victorian era had, very often, multi-fuel iron-hearth or were just replaced by ornate carved iron stoves.
Characteristic of Victorian room was multitude of furniture in different materials and style. Some of them were made form mahogany, heavy ornamented as in renaissance, other ones were made from pieces of bentwood such as Thonet chairs or light woven from rattan and similar flexible materials, also casted iron was used for furniture frames and shapes. There were upholstered double seats called ‘tete a tete’, plump armchairs with balloons backs, pouffes and ottomans, ornamented with trimmings, bows, ribbons and frills with plenty of embroidered pillows. Other elements of each space were lamps, pendant as chandeliers, tables, floors or cones. Made from iron, cooper or bronze with glass or textiles lampshades. Firstly, it was oil lamps, next gas and lastly electric after 1889 when first bulb was invented by Edison. In America where Victorian style was common as well the most distinguish example of arts of Victorian style were Tiffany lamps with stained glass in colorful patterns. Other groups of objects, which were indispensable part of each Victorian space, were pictures, mirrors, ceramics, clocks, dolls, especially porcelain dolls, jewelry, collectable objects as dishes, vases and others. Pictures were very often painted in oil, depicted botanicals, children, natural scenes or portraits of ancestor, family photos and also antique mirrors were framed with wood, rich ornamented and painted gold. Very popular were collections set up directly on the wall, on the shelves or in special display cabinets composed from old fashioned plates, crystal or porcelain vases and dolls. Mantles were good place for display of different trinkets, candle holders, porcelain animals, dry flowers or mantel clocks which were as popular as free standing grandfathers or walls. Different types of tables were covered countless numbers of embroidered doilies. Even though Victorian style wasn’t sublime, in most cases dark, over furniture space gives impression of nostalgia and compose, from the other side this style reflected freedom and unpretentiousness of people living in 19th century in England conscious of the time in which they were living.
Despite that Victorian era ended over one hundred years ago, elements of this style are still existing and eclecticism is constantly current in Art as a trend.
About the Author
Christopher Adach
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