>
The reign of the Queen Victoria, between 1837 and 1901, was a time of industrial development, was a time of superb social, economic transformation and change of program of values within the society. Lots of inventions gave a beginning of power, agriculture, textiles industry, iron business or transport revolutions. New technologies as artificial light, phone, casted iron and stained glass gave rise to lots of factories, manufactories, warehouses or smaller shops. Capitalisation of society, reclassification and the birth of new social class, recognized as middle class or bourgeoisie (upper class), increased request for goods and mechanisations of countless sectors of business produced production on mass scale and comparatively inexpensive. Dynamism of transition was stimulated by occurrence of some political and cultural events, for example, the Wonderful 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 significantly frequent newspapers and cultural magazines had significant impact on home decoration area. Followed by mass production of interiors stuffs, several of them had been lacking taste, for the reason that 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 other people. Thus, now, art decoration became not only seriously typical 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, known as eclectic, it was Victorian Style.
Typical Victorian home was very neatly and strictly divided into rooms for public or private space, but arguably the most fundamental 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 had been wealthy as ruby reds, forest green, purple, blue and sombre gray for stair halls, hallways or entry halls. According to contemporary colours theory, colours were utilized by analogy of colours laying next to every other on the colour wheel or by contrast with colours laying opposite on the colour wheel. At times in the country variations of Victorian style pastel colours had been utilised such as pinks, pale greens, peaches and mauve.
Walls had been treated as tripartite with dado, field in the middle and frieze or cornice with primarily used wallpapers or fabrics sometimes. Wallpapers had been patterned in fruits, floral and geometrical motifs, the most recognized had been created by William Morris. In this place duality of Victorian decorative objects has to be mentioned. Very first when were mass, machine-produced and low cost, quite often poor high quality, and other ones were developed 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 excellent craftsmanship and lastly were stand apart from key Victorian style. Ceilings were decorated with mouldings produced from paper mache, developed in rococo scroll or classical swags, for example. Other characteristic materials of this era were textiles and fabrics, utilized as a window treatments, upholstery, rugs and furniture coverings. It was also richly patterned in similar way as wall papers.
The most spectacular had been windows treatments with great fringed draped and trimmer velvets, damasks, muslin, cottons or chintz, with tiebacks. Depending of location 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 had been used. Skirting boards had been about 30 cm high and four cm thick. Especially crucial aspects of Victorian decoration were metalwork and stained glass as a symbol and reflection of industrial era and new technological achievements. Casted iron was utilised 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, highly quite often, multi-fuel iron-hearth or were just replaced by ornate carved iron stoves.
Characteristic of Victorian room was multitude of furniture in different supplies and style. Some of them were created form mahogany, heavy ornamented as in renaissance, other ones were produced from pieces of bentwood such as Thonet chairs or light woven from rattan and similar flexible materials, also casted iron was utilised for furniture frames and shapes. There were upholstered double seats referred to as ‘tete a tete’, plump armchairs with balloons backs, pouffes and ottomans, ornamented with trimmings, bows, ribbons and frills with a lot of embroidered pillows. Other elements of every space had been lamps, pendant as chandeliers, tables, floors or cones. Produced from iron, cooper or bronze with glass or textiles lampshades. Firstly, it was oil lamps, next gas and lastly electric following 1889 when very first bulb was invented by Edison. In America where Victorian style was common as nicely the most distinguish example of arts of Victorian style had been Tiffany lamps with stained glass in colorful patterns. Other groups of objects, which were indispensable part of each Victorian space, had been pictures, mirrors, ceramics, clocks, dolls, especially porcelain dolls, jewelry, collectable objects as dishes, vases and other people. Pictures had been especially generally painted in oil, depicted botanicals, children, natural scenes or portraits of ancestor, family photos and also antique mirrors had been framed with wood, rich ornamented and painted gold. Really well-known had been collections set up directly on the wall, on the shelves or in unique display cabinets composed from old fashioned plates, crystal or porcelain vases and dolls. Mantles were beneficial location for display of distinct trinkets, candle holders, porcelain animals, dry flowers or mantel clocks which were as well-known as absolutely free standing grandfathers or walls. Diverse sorts of tables were covered countless numbers of embroidered doilies. Even though Victorian style wasn’t sublime, in most circumstances dark, over furniture space gives impression of nostalgia and compose, from the other side this style reflected freedom and unpretentiousness of people today living in 19th century in England conscious of the time in which they were living.
In spite of that Victorian era ended over one hundred years ago, elements of this style are still existing and eclecticism is continually present in Art as a trend.
