Roman Ornament 1856

This print of “Roman Ornament” was created by Owen Jones in the mid-19th century, and demonstrates different types of Corinthian and Composite capitals. Jones’s work reflects the Victorian era's fascination with classifying and understanding the world through visual representation. Jones was a British architect and designer, and his identity as a Western European man shaped his approach to art and design. He sought to codify the principles of design from various cultures, including Roman architecture as seen in these capitals. The intense, complex and ornate details are presented in careful lines. These designs have been removed from their original cultural and historical context, and re-presented for a Victorian audience, reflecting the period's aesthetic and cultural values. Jones’s work raises questions about cultural appropriation and the power dynamics inherent in representing other cultures. It invites us to reflect on how historical designs are reinterpreted and used in different cultural contexts, and how such representations shape our understanding of history and identity.