Leather Panel
1715-40 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Leather panels were used to cover walls as an alternative to wooden panelling or textile hangings. Luxurious effects could be achieved with rich colours and highly patterned surfaces. Often the decoration of these hangings echoed the design of other furnishings in a room, and tied together an interior decorative scheme. The bold scrolls and stylised foliage of this panel are similar to textile designs of the early 18th century, while the geometric patterns that fill the scrolls resemble carved decoration found on gilded French furniture of the same period.
It is uncertain exactly how this panel was made. Traditionally, wet leather was pressed onto a raised wooden mould to create an embossed surface. In 1628, however, a similar process using a heated metal plate was patented in the Netherlands. This technique, which was widely copied, made it possible to produce large numbers of identical, finely detailed panels. Even sharper detail could be achieved on a thin leather, such as calf skin, which was probably used for this panel. Its crisp embossed surface suggests that a metal plate was used in this panel's manufacture.
Although areas of the panel appear to be gilded, the precious metal used to create this effect is actually silver. A thin silver foil was applied to the panel and then coated with a layer of yellow varnish to look like gold leaf.
It is uncertain exactly how this panel was made. Traditionally, wet leather was pressed onto a raised wooden mould to create an embossed surface. In 1628, however, a similar process using a heated metal plate was patented in the Netherlands. This technique, which was widely copied, made it possible to produce large numbers of identical, finely detailed panels. Even sharper detail could be achieved on a thin leather, such as calf skin, which was probably used for this panel. Its crisp embossed surface suggests that a metal plate was used in this panel's manufacture.
Although areas of the panel appear to be gilded, the precious metal used to create this effect is actually silver. A thin silver foil was applied to the panel and then coated with a layer of yellow varnish to look like gold leaf.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Embossed and gilded leather |
Brief description | Embossed gilt leather panel, with a symmetrical design of bandwork with flowers and fruits. Painted with white flowers veined in red, blue and brown, and a brown ground, Dutch, ca. 1715-40. |
Physical description | Embossed and painted leather panel, with gilt-effect scrolls on a dark chestnut ground, interspersed with fruit, blue, white and pink flowers and red and green foliage. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions | 'C' (On the back-side of the top-left hand corner in white paint (contemporary to the panel)) |
Credit line | Gift of Murray Marks |
Object history | Given by Murray Marks, 395 Oxford St (with three other leather panels, 1651, 1652, 1653 and 1654-1871), and then attributed as 'Spanish. 17th century' This was quite a popular pattern: of this pattern exists also a mirrored version. Identical panels can be found in the wall hangings in Hatfield House (GB); Rasmus Meyers Samlinger, Bergen (Norway). Individual panels exist in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, inventory number unknown; Deutsches Ledermuseum, Offenbach am Main, inventory numbers 2391, 2394, 2397, 2410 and unknown; Kunstgewerbemuseum, Dresden, inventory number 15604; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inventory number RBK 18263, 18264, 18265; Nederlands Leder- en schoenmuseum, inventory number unknown; Musée d'art religieux, Liège (Belg.) inventory number unknown; Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart (Germ.), inventory number E 3466. Altar frontal in the church in Lubieszewo Tozewskie (Poland) |
Summary | Leather panels were used to cover walls as an alternative to wooden panelling or textile hangings. Luxurious effects could be achieved with rich colours and highly patterned surfaces. Often the decoration of these hangings echoed the design of other furnishings in a room, and tied together an interior decorative scheme. The bold scrolls and stylised foliage of this panel are similar to textile designs of the early 18th century, while the geometric patterns that fill the scrolls resemble carved decoration found on gilded French furniture of the same period. It is uncertain exactly how this panel was made. Traditionally, wet leather was pressed onto a raised wooden mould to create an embossed surface. In 1628, however, a similar process using a heated metal plate was patented in the Netherlands. This technique, which was widely copied, made it possible to produce large numbers of identical, finely detailed panels. Even sharper detail could be achieved on a thin leather, such as calf skin, which was probably used for this panel. Its crisp embossed surface suggests that a metal plate was used in this panel's manufacture. Although areas of the panel appear to be gilded, the precious metal used to create this effect is actually silver. A thin silver foil was applied to the panel and then coated with a layer of yellow varnish to look like gold leaf. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 1651-1871 |
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Record created | June 6, 2007 |
Record URL |
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