Fashionable Regency textile patterns of the 18th and 19th centuries were inspired by ancient and exotic civilizations. Most of these patterns were well documented with regards to their date of initial production although many of them were still being manufactured at later dates.
Influences of Pompeii and Herculaneum
The classical influence on the French Empire, the English Regency and American Federal was well-established in interiors by the beginning of the 19th century, but the appearance of accurate classical motifs on textiles did not commence until the 1800s, well after the initial interest initiated by the discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum in 1738.
Increase in Regency Era Textile Production
The late 1820s and 30s saw the re-emergence of many designs that were in vogue circa 1800. The increased volume of textile production created a demand for more patterns. Among the most popular were the pillar prints and the florid canvas embroidery of Berlin wool work.
Some restrained weaves such as the compact foliate wreaths, bosses and trellises, largely fashioned after French patterns, had such limited an initial circulation in England and America that their return was, according to the book English and American Textiles 1790 to the Present, by Mary Schoser and Celia Rufey, “… less a revival that the case of exceptionally slow dispersal of fashion.”
Classic and Gothic During the Regency Period
By 1812, architectural motifs were superfluously introduced into contemporary floral patterned textiles and these were usually arranged in a half drop repeat. These designs represented both the Classic and Gothic tastes by the portrayal of appropriate ruins, but they lacked any sense of scale or pictorial reality. They were popular until about 1816.
Typical Regency Textile Designs
From 1812 to 1814, printed imitation damask, usually produced in one color, was all the rage and continued to appear throughout the entire era. Polychrome floral chintzes printed from woodblocks were well-liked textiles designs during the early decades of the 19th century. By 1820, machine roller-printed fabrics dominated the scene.
Between 1829 1836 large botanical patterened textiles were popular. Butterflies and long-tailed birds were later added to the design
Although one commonly associates Regency textiles with the ubiquitous stripe, it does not appear in the pattern books until 1824 and remains popular throughout the 1830s and 1840s.
Interior Design Trends of the Regency
The rate of change in interior design styles also increased at this time, due mainly to an increase in information about stylish trends. Fashions of the late 17th century were generally in vogue for about 30 years. However two centuries later, stylistic variations occurred approximately every seven years. . By 1825, even the more modest households had access to the chic classical motifs once the exclusive domain of more affluent homes.
In 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV, the Regency era officially ended. However, the designs and styles of the Regency extended well beyond this historical date.
Resource Credits
This article was researched using information from the book English and American Textiles 1790 to the Present by Mary Schoser and Celia Rufey and Fabrics for Historic Buildings by Jane C. Nylander. Readers might aslo be interested in learning about Regency era wallpaper and wall finishes as well as Regency style silverware and Regency and Picturesque interior design.
Heather Zorzini - Heather Zorzini's stories, essays and photographs have appeared in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto's NOW Magazine and ...
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