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Wallpaper

ca. 1840-1844 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of five wallpaper samples from The Grange, in Ramsgate, Kent, the house designed by A.W.N. Pugin, the designer and architect, for himself. The house which was built in 1843-4, and the papers were designed around the same time.

This pattern is a dramatic design with heraldic motifs in roundels interspersed with diagonal bands, on a ground patterned with scrolling foliage, printed in bold colours. The design incorporates the initials AWP, the Pugin motto ‘en avant’ is repeated on the diagonal bands, and the black bird in the roundels comes from the Pugin arms. This design is characteristic of Pugin’s ‘medievalising’ style. The V&A holds the original design for this paper (D.1045-1908) which is inscribed “This part of Pattern [apparently referring to the foliage ground] white on Red for Dining Room / white on Blue for Drawing Room / light green on dark green for Mrs Pugin’s Room…”

The V&A has a number of Pugin’s wallpapers and designs, but these are of particular interest because Pugin designed them for his own home, and they were found in situ.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Colour print from woodblocks
Brief description
L-shaped fragment of wallpaper, bird motif in roundel with scrolling foliage and gothic-style lettering, A.W.N. Pugin, UK, ca. 1840-44
Physical description
Fragment of wallpaper, printed with a stylised bird motif in a roundel with scrolling foliage and bands of gothic-style lettering.
Dimensions
  • Height: 58.5cm
  • Width: 38cm
cut to an L-shaped strip
Style
Credit line
Given by The Landmark Trust
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
This is one of five wallpaper samples from The Grange, in Ramsgate, Kent, the house designed by A.W.N. Pugin, the designer and architect, for himself. The house which was built in 1843-4, and the papers were designed around the same time.

This pattern is a dramatic design with heraldic motifs in roundels interspersed with diagonal bands, on a ground patterned with scrolling foliage, printed in bold colours. The design incorporates the initials AWP, the Pugin motto ‘en avant’ is repeated on the diagonal bands, and the black bird in the roundels comes from the Pugin arms. This design is characteristic of Pugin’s ‘medievalising’ style. The V&A holds the original design for this paper (D.1045-1908) which is inscribed “This part of Pattern [apparently referring to the foliage ground] white on Red for Dining Room / white on Blue for Drawing Room / light green on dark green for Mrs Pugin’s Room…”

The V&A has a number of Pugin’s wallpapers and designs, but these are of particular interest because Pugin designed them for his own home, and they were found in situ.
Collection
Accession number
E.3654-2007

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Record createdJanuary 9, 2008
Record URL
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