Wallpaper
Wallpaper
late 19th century (made)
late 19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Floral patterns were popular for wallpapers, but by the mid-nineteenth century many of the designs were exaggeratedly realistic. The designer of this wallpaper has tried to make the poppies as naturalistic as possible, despite the constraints of the paper and the un-natural colouring: even the hairs on the stems are shown. Design critics at the time objected to this kind of realism because it was thought to be inappropriate to decorate a flat surface such as a wall with a design that gave the illusion of depth.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Wallpaper (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Colour print in wash distemper from wood blocks, on paper |
| Brief description | Portion of wallpaper with naturalistic poppy design in brown and blue; Colour print in wash distemper from wood blocks, on paper; English; Late 19th century. |
| Physical description | Portion of wallpaper with naturalistic poppy design in brown and blue; Colour print in wash distemper from wood blocks, on paper. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | WALLPAPER
English, late 19th century
Colour print in wash distemper from wood blocks
Much of the mass-produced floral ornament of the nineteenth century was criticised at the time for being over-realistic (see case 38). The designer of this wallpaper has tried to make the poppies as naturalistic as possible, despite the constraints of the paper and the colouring: even the hairs on the stems are shown. Poppies were first widely used in ornament in the late 19th century.
E.1824-1934 |
| Credit line | Given by the Wallpaper Manufacturers Ltd |
| Object history | Given by the Wallpaper Manufacturers Ltd. Much of the mass-produced floral ornament of the nineteenth century was criticised at the time for being over-realistic (see case 38). The designer of this wallpaper has tried to make the poppies as naturalistic as possible, despite the constraints of the paper and the colouring: even the hairs on the stems are shown. Poppies were first widely used in ornament in the late 19th century. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Floral patterns were popular for wallpapers, but by the mid-nineteenth century many of the designs were exaggeratedly realistic. The designer of this wallpaper has tried to make the poppies as naturalistic as possible, despite the constraints of the paper and the un-natural colouring: even the hairs on the stems are shown. Design critics at the time objected to this kind of realism because it was thought to be inappropriate to decorate a flat surface such as a wall with a design that gave the illusion of depth. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1824-1934 |
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| Record created | June 29, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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