The decorative designs of C.F.A. Voysey: from the drawings collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects

Abstract

Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857-1941) is chiefly remembered today as one of the leading domestic architects of the early twentieth century. Before his career was established, however, to supplement his income he started to design fabrics and wallpapers, and became as successful a designer as he was an architect. Although the themes and components of his decoration are typical of his time, Voysey's designs remain as distinctive as his houses. They are clear and authoritative, and show a sense of colour that was exceptional in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. The Royal Institute of British Architects drawings collection includes a large number of Voysey's designs, making it one of the most extensive archives for a designer of the time. The collection covers a period of over forty years, starting in 1887, and includes both commercial designs and others, more revealing about the designer himself. Stuart Durant's study of Voysey's work and selection of over sixty of his designs makes the gems of this collection available in print for the first time and presents an absorbing study of Voysey's working methods and artistic theories. Voysey can now be seen as one of the major figures in British design history.