Owen Jones (1809 - 1874)

Owen Jones

Owen Jones was a British architect, designer, theorist and decorative arts artist.

Educated at the Royal Academy, Jones traveled to the Middle East and Spain between 1833 and 1834, studying the architecture and design of the Islamic and especially the Arab world. Jones dedicated his work Plans, Facades, Sections, and Details of the Alhambra (1842-45) to the famous palace at Granada, an outstanding example of Moorish architecture.

Jones is also known for his work on Eastern and Western design motifs, Grammar of Ornament (1856), which is a systematic pictorial compendium emphasizing the use of color and the application of logical principles in the design of carpets, wallpaper, furniture, and interior decoration.