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Free Decorative Christopher Dresser Design Prints

This collection of Christopher Dresser design prints is from an old textbook on decorative design art.

The books 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, which is the world’s leading museum of art and design.)

Dresser had 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. He has also had a significant influence on the art nouveau movement.

Leaves of Nature No. 8

The ideas in this book were based on a series of lectures presented to 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 also famous for his ceramics and art nouveau metal teapot designs.

Cchristopher-Dresser-design prints

How To Download The Vintage Flora Design Prints

Click on the title above the Christopher Dresser pattern design print you want. A higher resolution of that image will open in a new window in your browser. If you then click on that larger image with your mouse, you can save that picture to your device.

I think 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.

1. Green Buds, Leaves & Floral Print

Dresser notes that the radiation of colorful shapes from a common center can convey the idea of a flower. Even though the design is recognized as floral, it doesn’t resemble any specific species of a flowering plant.

Christopher Dresser Green-leaves-buds-foral-design

2. Geometric Floral Patterns

In this chapter this plate features in, Christopher Dresser discusses how plants not only have a sense of order in their development but are also founded upon a geometric basis.

Christopher Dresser Geometric floral patterns

3. Plant Repetition

Repetition is so obviously a principle of plant growth, and so manifestly a source of much of the pleasure which we derive from beholding the vegetable structure.”

Plant-repetition

4. Leaf Repetition

An ornamental design example of repetition, corresponding with that of a leaf on the tree.

Floral- Repetition

5. Floral Alternation

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, a number of awl-shaped or thread-like members terminated in knobs which are usually yellow; and a central organ consisting of one or several portions“.

Floral design alternation

6. Decorative Flowers

Christopher Dresser Decorative-flowers

7. Earth Pattern

Earth-pattern

8. Evening Star

Christopher Dresser describes this design pattern as ” A hasty sketch in which we have endeavored to convey the thought of an evening star.”

evening star

9. Hobgoblin

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.”

Hobgoblin

10. Christopher Dresser Design – Knowledge is Power

An integrate Dresser pattern design, titled “knowledge is power“.

Knowledge is power

11. Lady and Flower

This design print illustrates how you need to look at the design as a whole. For example, if you look at the flower pattern from a distance it looks like the faintly drawn lady at the bottom of the print.

Christopher Dresser print woman and flower

If you enjoyed these decorative art prints of Christopher Dresser, then you might like some of the other art, retro pattern, and color collections on Pictureboxblue.