Ornamental Compositions of Fabrics: A Historical Overview

The article deals with ornamental design in fabrics within the European cultural space, from the early Middle Ages to the first quarter of the 20th century. Ornament is defined as one of the non-verbal languages of culture and is considered a kind of text. The motifs of ornaments are always informative, containing insights into the worldview, ethnic identity, and aesthetic tastes of the society from a particular historical period. It is noted that in modern times, fabric ornamentation has evolved into more experimental and textured artistic forms. However, the principles of constructing ornamental compositions have remained classical (grid, coupon-based). It is concluded that the study of fabric ornamentation is essential in higher education for future artists of decorative arts specializing in “Art Textiles”. These artists must possess a high level of artistic and aesthetic culture as a marker of professional competence and a prerequisite for their future careers. Institutions that train such professionals include the Lviv National Academy of Arts, ykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative-Applied Arts and Design, Educational and Scientific Institute of Arts of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, and Khmelnytskyi National University. It is specified that the study of ornament as a historical art phenomenon will contribute to the development of highly qualified specialists in this field. Creative exploration of the techniques of compositional structure in fabric ornamentation, the study of the history of ornament, and the most commonly used motifs in each of its periods will enable future decorative arts artists specializing in “Art Textiles” to freely incorporate ornamental motifs of any form or configuration into their professional work. A thorough study of the principles of constructing ornamental compositions and their elemental components — the motifs — will help future specialists identify the stylistic uniqueness of patterns and colour schemes in fabric compositions from past centuries, thereby demonstrating their professionalism in art textiles.