
Jacqueline Groag (1903 – 1986) was a Czech textile designer and ceramicist. Born in Prague, she studied in Vienna at the Kunstgewerbeschule during the 1920s. Before going to Paris in 1929, Groag studied with Josef Hoffmann and Franz Cizek in Vienna and designed for the Wiener Werkstätte. While there, she created dress materials for Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Lanvin. She married Jacques Groag, an architect and Adolf Loos follower, whose taste for austere functionalism in architecture influenced her aesthetic.
Escaped to Britain
She escaped to Britain with her husband in 1939. They settled in London, and she began to design textiles for clothing.
Groag produced designs for most of the leading textile manufacturers throughout the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her designs included silkscreen motifs for ceramic dinnerware made by Johsno, Matthey and colourful textile motifs in typical amorphic printed patterns for David Whithead.
Her designs appeared on wallpaper, laminates, carpet greeting cards, and Liberty book matches.
Jacqueline Groag 1952 Furnishing Fabric – Case Study
1952 Jacqueline Groag created a striking furnishing fabric pattern for David Whitehead Limited of Rawenstall, Lancashire. This fabric, now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, exemplifies the vibrant and innovative designs that emerged in the post-war period.

David Whitehead Limited, formed in 1927, gained a reputation by the 1950s for producing cutting-edge textile designs. The company’s director, John Murray, was committed to making these designs accessible to a broad audience. In 1951, the company launched “Contemporary Prints,” a line specializing in roller-printed patterns on spun rayon. Groag’s design for David Whitehead Ltd. is a quintessential example of this collection.
Groag’s creative use of colour and abstract shapes in this print are characteristic of the patterns that emerged from the Festival of Britain and were soon labelled “contemporary.” These patterns had a lasting impact on British textile design throughout the 1950s, bringing a much-needed burst of colour and vibrancy in contrast to the muted tones prevalent during the Second World War.
Physical Description: The fabric is a roller-printed spun rayon furnishing fabric featuring a repeating pattern of multi-coloured abstract shapes on a cream ground, interspersed with small lines reminiscent of running stitches. This design showcases Groag’s signature style, blending playful abstraction with functional application.
Technical Details:
- Materials: Rayon
- Techniques: Roller printing
- Dimensions: Width 121.9 cm, Length 198.1 cm; Additional pieces each 60.9 cm wide and 76.2 cm long.
This design by Jacqueline Groag highlights her artistic versatility and underscores the transformative period of post-war British design, where innovation and accessibility were paramount. The partnership between Groag and David Whitehead Limited is a notable example of how art and industry can collaborate to produce beautiful and widely available designs.
Selection of Works






Source
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Jackson, L. (2002). Twentieth-century pattern design : textile & wallpaper pioneers. United Kingdom: Princeton Architectural Press.
Museum, V. and A. (n.d.). Textile design: Jacqueline Groag: V&A explore the collections. Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O56354/textile-design-jacqueline-groag/.
Prokop, U. (2019). Jacques and Jacqueline Groag, Architect and Designer: Two Hidden Figures of the Viennese Modern Movement. United States: DoppelHouse Press.
Stapleton, A., Chamberlain, R., Rayner, G., Groag, J. (2009). Jacqueline Groag: Textile & Pattern Design : Wiener Werkstätte to American Modern. United Kingdom: Antique Collectors’ Club.
Watt, A. (2014). Pattern Play: The Contemporary Designs of Jacqueline Groag: Denver Art Museum May 19, 2013–November 3, 2013. West 86th: A J, 21(1), 138-141. doi:10.1086/677876
Wohlgemuth, C. (2021). Mid-Century Modern – Visionary Furniture Design from Vienna. Germany: Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
More Czech Designers
Design articles
Discover more from Encyclopedia of Design
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.