Gothic gets a 21st century interpretation restyle
The Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, 2429 January 2017 in Battersea Park, kick-starts the New Year with an unusual Foyer display, a 21st Century interpretation of Gothic design. The Fair will offer a fresh perspective on how this style – which originated as light, delicate and highly decorated grandeur – can work in new ways for today’s interiors. Taking historic inspiration from Strawberry Hill House (built by Horace Walpole, born 1717) and Jane Austen’s ‘gothic’ novel
Northanger Abbey (published 1817), the foyer display of the Winter Fair will weave a gothic-infused fantasy for modern times.
Around 145 exhibitors will be taking part in the winter edition of the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, bringing the wonderful range of period design that customers have come to expect, encompassing the practical, the statement piece, the eccentric and the purely elegant. With furniture and objects for sale dating back to the 17th century and up to the 1970s, every era of style and craftsmanship can be found at the Decorative Fair, the go-to event for interior design trade and savvy private buyers hunting the perfect one-off piece. Furniture (fine, formal, country and decorative antique, art deco and mid-century designs) lighting, accessories - mirrors, glassware, ceramics, collectors’ items including fine and vintage couture jewellery, textiles and art of every kind from folk to contemporary can be found.
The 21st Century Gothic foyer display will feature beautiful period examples of gothic design refreshed by modern styling, including carved and decorated furniture, mirrors and architectural elements, diffused with select 20th century pieces and even a dash of steampunk and elaborate pattern for a contemporary, dramatic spirit. Typical gothic decoration, which should be light and airy in feel, includes the pointed arch and lancet window, slender columns, trefoil and quatrefoil tracery, leaf and fleur-delys (and later heraldic) motifs, which appear in English and European interiors from the 13th century onwards. The style has proved enduringly popular, remaining in wide use throughout England to the 16th century, and experiencing revivals in the mid18th century, the Regency and later Victorian periods, and heavily influencing the Arts & Crafts movement.
At the recent Autumn 2016 Fair (held from 27 September to 2 October), there was a keen interest among UK and international buyers for smart, formal, embellished antique furniture as well as unique 20th century designs, and unusual painted and decorated antiques which are such a trademark of the Fair. This was also the first occasion on which the Mezzanine level of the Marquee was incorporated into the Fair, with a dozen, mainly new, exhibitors. They were all delighted with the layout, airy atmosphere and stunning views over the park.
In January, the Mezzanine will be a new home to LARTA, the London Antique Rug & Textile Art Fair, an exceptional annual event with 15 expert dealers specialising in period carpets, tapestries, textiles and tribal weavings along with associated works of art. LARTA is a focal point for collectors and international buyers and is the only event of its kind in Europe.
Some of the most famous architectural examples of English gothic can be seen at cathedrals such as Canterbury, Wells, Durham and Westminster, Horace Walpole’s Strawberry Hill House and the Houses of Parliament. Gothic has also influenced artists (Millais, Ruskin, Blake), authors (Horace Walpole wrote what is considered to be the firstever gothic novel, The Castle of
Otranto, in 1764 which in turn inspired the Brontes, Bram Stoker, even Du Maurier’s Rebecca), and fashion designers like Gaultier, McQueen and Galliano with their ‘haut goth’ style.