Two collections of Christopher Dresser design prints are featured here: one from an antique textbook on decorative design art and the other from a vibrant selection of design drawings from the Metropolitan Museum.
Who Was Christopher Dresser
Christopher Dresser was a pioneering figure in the world of design, often hailed as one of the first true industrial designers. He revolutionized how we think about everyday objects, bringing together functionality and beauty in a groundbreaking way for the late 19th century. Known for his clean lines, geometric forms, and innovative use of materials like metal and ceramics, Dresser challenged the ornate Victorian aesthetic with his more minimalist, modern approach. He believed that good design should be accessible and that mass-produced items could still have artistic integrity.
Dresser’s global curiosity set him apart. He was deeply influenced by Japanese design, with its simplicity and elegance, as well as ancient Egyptian motifs, blending these elements into his work. His teapots, vases, and textiles weren’t just practical; they were artful expressions of his vision. He understood the beauty in functionality and was ahead of his time in recognizing the potential of industrial processes to elevate design for the masses. Today, his legacy endures in everything from modernist decor to everyday household objects that value form and function.
The Art of Decorative Design
The book’s full title is “The art of decorative design: with an appendix, giving the hours of the day at which flowers open (the floral clock); the characteristic flowers of the month (both indigenous and cultivated), of all countries, and of the diversified soils“, by Christopher Dresser 1862.
At the time of publication, Christopher Dresser was the Professor of Ornamental Art and Botany at the South Kensington Museum.
(The South Kensington Museum is the old name of the V&A Museum, the world’s leading museum of art and design.)
Dresser studied Botany early in his career, influencing his floral design work. He contributed a botanical plate (see below) to Owen Jones’s famous book The Grammer of Ornament and had significantly influenced the art nouveau movement.
This book’s ideas were based on lectures from the Royal Society of Arts. Christopher Dresser was one of the most talented British designers of the 19th century and is considered one of the first industrial designers.
Dresser was a contemporary of William Morris. Both designers were interested in making affordable, well-made decorative objects and ornaments for the home based on floral design.
However, Morris focused on traditional art and craft techniques for production. Dresser, on the other hand, focused on industrial production. Christopher Dresser is famous for his ceramics and art nouveau metal teapot designs.
How To Download Christopher Dresser Prints
Click on the title above the Christopher Dresser pattern design print you want. A higher-resolution image will open in a new window in your browser. If you click on that larger image with your mouse, you can save it to your device.
These prints would look lovely printed and hung as a set on a gallery wall. They would be great for those interested in art design and decoration.
The Floral Design Prints
1. Green Buds, Leaves & Floral Print
Dresser notes that the radiation of colourful shapes from a common centre can convey the idea of a flower. Although the design is recognized as floral, it doesn’t resemble any specific species of flowering plant.
This plate features Christopher Dresser in this chapter. Dresser discusses how plants have a sense of order in their development and are founded on a geometric basis.
“Repetition is so obviously a principle of plant growth and so manifestly a source of much of the pleasure we derive from beholding the vegetable structure.”
An ornamental design example of repetition corresponds with that of a leaf on the tree.
This floral design print is an example of “alternation“. Dresser explains this as follows; “the flower is made up o four series of parts – a ring of outer leaves, which are usually green; a ring of coloured leaves, several awl-shaped or thread-like members terminated in knobs which are usually yellow; and a central organ consisting of one or several portions“.#
There are some similar foral motives in this collection of vintage folk embroideries.
Christopher Dresser describes this design pattern as ” A hasty sketch in which we have endeavored to convey the thought of an evening star.”
Dresser describes the top design on this print as “Hobgoblin”.
“An illustration of a Hobgoblin, a creature with eyes as large as tea-saucers, resident in Pad-foot-land.”
10. Christopher Dresser Design – Knowledge is Power
An integrated Dresser pattern design, titled “Knowledge is power“.
This design print illustrates how you must look at the design as a whole. For example, looking at the flower pattern from a distance, it looks like the faintly drawn lady at the bottom of the print.
The Vibrant Dresser Drawings
The following prints are from a collection of Christopher Dresser design prints at the Metropolitan Museum.
Another vibrant, colourful design by Christopher Dresser painted in gouache with graphite and ink.
If you enjoyed these decorative art prints of Christopher Dresser, then you might like some of the other art, retro pattern, and colour collections on Pictureboxblue.