The Julius Hummel Collection of Christopher Dresser

Christopher Dresser is hailed today as the wellspring of industrial design. He is remembered for having revolutionised form and function against the backdrop of the austere Victorian fashion of his era. Seceding from the English interiors and orders rooted in the Greco-Roman traditions as established by Robert Adam almost a century before and prevailing within the British aristocracy as Rococo throughout the early to mid-19th century, Dresser shifted his focus, instead drawing inspiration from nature and cultures previously unincorporated into British styles and tastes. In doing so, Dresser crafted a new aesthetic vocabulary fit for the emerging middle class of Britain, made accessible through mechanised production, and forged a visual legacy still celebrated to this day.

Born into this emerging class in Glasgow in 1834, Christopher Dresser was set on the course that would define his life from an early stage. At age 13, he entered the Government School for Design at Somerset House, an initiative set out by the government to rejuvenate British design, making it fit for the post-industrial age, where he studied botany. During these formative years, he laid the foundation for his design philosophy, outlined in his 1862 book 'The Art of Decorative Design'. The ideas within were founded on the principles of William Dyce (with its roots in botany) and Owen Jones, to whom Dresser was a student. In it, Dresser stated that the highest achievement in ornament is only achievable through reducing any form to its most basic geometric components, stylising any source through geometric reasoning, and removing all preconceived associations from the source.

Jones' 'Grammar of Ornament', published in 1856, sought to broaden the European cultural reference points for emerging design, looking at the traditions of the Māori of the Western Pacific and the geometric arrangements in the decorative traditions of Islam, Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Subscribing to Jones' teachings, Dresser frequented museums and fairs in search of inspiration and non-Western prototypes for his designs for his employers, which at the time included Minton, Wedgwood, Coalbrookdale, and Trumble & Co. His pursuit of and engagement with foreign subject matter would culminate during the 1862 World Fair, which saw his first significant exposure to Japanese art and objects. Having only opened its borders less than a decade prior, following nearly two centuries of seclusion, critics and collectors' initial response to it was predominantly lukewarm, mainly considered a novelty. Dresser, however, saw in it the realisation of his aesthetic theories and began an increasing study of and engagement with objects such as lacquerwork and ceramics. These engagements would see Dresser sent to Japan in 1876 as a British envoy with a mission to conduct an extensive cultural survey.

As the first British artist to visit the country, Dresser studied artefacts, temples, and objects, which he brought back to Britain and promoted an aesthetic never seen before. He recorded these in the seminal work 'Japan, its Architecture, Art and Art-Manufactures', which, for a long time, remained the authoritative first-hand account of Japanese art. Looking at the production of Linthorpe Art Pottery, Hukin & Heath, and James Dixon & Sons, companies for whom Dresser produced designs in the immediate years following his return from Japan, the impact of this period becomes apparent. Seeking to capitalise on the vogue of Japonisme, Dresser was given free rein in his design process, resulting in highly idiosyncratic works harkening back to Dresser's core philosophy of ornamental achievement through stylisation, with simple repeating geometric shapes reflecting those seen in Japanese textiles and art.

The biggest challenge for Dresser would emerge in the mid-1880s when the economic recession hit Britain. As a result, many of his employers chose to terminate his employment in the interest of cost reduction.

Despite the setbacks, Dresser enjoyed a thriving career until his death in 1904. His late years were marked by his work on Clutha glass and ceramic designs for William Ault, as well as a return to wallpaper and textile designs, with these later works showcasing an awareness of the emerging Modern Style.

Dresser's impact on British design would not be recognised domestically until almost half a century later, following his rediscovery by Art Historian Nicholas Pevsner, who organised the first retrospective exhibition of Dresser's work. Interestingly, it is in central Europe, particularly among makers like Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann, where Dresser's immediate aesthetic legacy is more perceptible.

Travelling to London in 1903, they found inspiration in the prominent designers of the era, including Charles Robert Ashbee and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Therein lies the plausibility of the exposure to Dresser's work, as it would have predated his fading into obscurity. Examining the works by Hoffman and Moser, there is the same veneration for nature as seen in Dresser's work and that of his contemporaries, but also the specific geometric reasoning and abstraction of form. These ideas would be instrumental in laying the foundation for the stylistic direction that would develop into the Bauhaus School, with designers such as Marianne Brandt carrying on the aesthetic trajectory set out by Dresser almost half a century prior, yet likely unaware of his contributions.

Julius Hummel sought to explore this connection, acquiring the collection over twenty years ago to serve as a link between the British development of aesthetic principles and the Vienna Secession. Through it, the development of the designs of Hoffmann, Moser, and Adolf Loos can be traced back to late 19th-century London and the philosophical tenets set out by Dresser. Bonhams is delighted to be offering this extraordinary collection, celebrating the widespread influence and legacy of Dresser's work, along with his unique and multi-faceted approach to design and ornamental theory.