Owen Jones

Owen Jones

          Owen was the son of a Welsh antiquary, was an architect and an interior designer. During his studies he studied with the architect Lewis Vulliamy and then he enrolled the Royal Academy schools. After a European tour which led him to sketch and paint the Alhambra, the Moorish palace. Jones is best known for his Grammar of Ornament (1856) which came to be regarded as a masterpiece, but he specialized as a color printer in the gift book beloved by the Victorians.

          Owen Jones started working for Thomas De La Rue

 in 1844, which was known that he had the best artists around working for him. In 20 years years Jones created 173 different playing card designs varying from fruit and flower themes to Chinese and Arabic. Owen Jones played a prominent part in the lives of three generations of De La Rues; Thomas, assisting Warren and William Frederick and Warren's son, Warren William who was sent to him to learn lithography. Owen Jones was appointed superintendent of works for the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition and took part in decorating and arranging the building.

A higher ambition: Owen Jones (1809–74) - Victoria and Albert Museum. 2013. A higher ambition: Owen Jones (1809–74) - Victoria and Albert Museum. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/a-higher-ambition-owen-jones/. [Accessed 08 April 2013].