Wallpaper
ca. 1853 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This wallpaper sample was included in a display of 'False Principles of Decoration', held at the Museum of Ornamental Art, Marlborough House, London in 1852. The wallpaper shows horses in a field at the top, plus horses at a racecourse below. The label "False Principles 35" is at the top left.
In December 1852, Charles Dickens published an article about the False Principles display, entitled "A House Full of Horrors." (Household Words, 4 December 1852). Dickens also included a scene in an early chapter of his novel Hard Times (1854). An unnamed "third gentleman" asks some school children whether they would "paper a room with representations of horses?", but fails to receive the correct response:
"I'll explain to you, then," said the gentleman, after another and a dismal pause, "why you wouldn't paper a room with representations of horses. Do you ever see horses walking up and down the sides of rooms in reality—in fact? Do you?"
"Why, then, you are not to see anywhere, what you don't see in fact; you are not to have anywhere, what you don't have in fact. What is called Taste, is only another name for Fact."
(Charles Dickens, Hard Times, Chapter 2)
The first chapters of the novel were published in Household Words dated 1 April 1854, or April Fool's Day. The "third gentleman" that Dickens makes fun of is Henry Cole, who went on to become the first Director of the V&A.
In December 1852, Charles Dickens published an article about the False Principles display, entitled "A House Full of Horrors." (Household Words, 4 December 1852). Dickens also included a scene in an early chapter of his novel Hard Times (1854). An unnamed "third gentleman" asks some school children whether they would "paper a room with representations of horses?", but fails to receive the correct response:
"I'll explain to you, then," said the gentleman, after another and a dismal pause, "why you wouldn't paper a room with representations of horses. Do you ever see horses walking up and down the sides of rooms in reality—in fact? Do you?"
"Why, then, you are not to see anywhere, what you don't see in fact; you are not to have anywhere, what you don't have in fact. What is called Taste, is only another name for Fact."
(Charles Dickens, Hard Times, Chapter 2)
The first chapters of the novel were published in Household Words dated 1 April 1854, or April Fool's Day. The "third gentleman" that Dickens makes fun of is Henry Cole, who went on to become the first Director of the V&A.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Colour woodblock print, possibly with some machine printing, on paper |
| Brief description | Sample of pictorial wallpaper with horses, water, and ground floating in the air; landscape in perspective; Colour woodblock print, possibly with some machine printing, on paper; Used to demonstrate 'False Principles of Decoration' at the Museum of Ornamental Art, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London; English; ca. 1853. |
| Physical description | Sample of pictorial wallpaper with horses, water, and ground floating in the air; landscape in perspective; Colour woodblock print, possibly with some machine printing, on paper. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | FALSE PRINCIPLES 35 (Labelled on front, top left corner, of wallpaper.) |
| Object history | This sample of wallpaper was used to demonstrate 'False Principles of Decoration' at the Museum of Ornamental Art, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London. This wallpaper was listed in the catalogue of the Marlborough House collection, issued by the Department of Science and Art, 1853. |
| Production | This is a sample of wallpaper that was used to demonstrate 'False Principles of Decoration' at the Museum of Ornamental Art, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London. It is listed in the catalogue of the Marlborough House collection, issued by the Department of Science and Art, 1853. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This wallpaper sample was included in a display of 'False Principles of Decoration', held at the Museum of Ornamental Art, Marlborough House, London in 1852. The wallpaper shows horses in a field at the top, plus horses at a racecourse below. The label "False Principles 35" is at the top left. In December 1852, Charles Dickens published an article about the False Principles display, entitled "A House Full of Horrors." (Household Words, 4 December 1852). Dickens also included a scene in an early chapter of his novel Hard Times (1854). An unnamed "third gentleman" asks some school children whether they would "paper a room with representations of horses?", but fails to receive the correct response: "I'll explain to you, then," said the gentleman, after another and a dismal pause, "why you wouldn't paper a room with representations of horses. Do you ever see horses walking up and down the sides of rooms in reality—in fact? Do you?" "Why, then, you are not to see anywhere, what you don't see in fact; you are not to have anywhere, what you don't have in fact. What is called Taste, is only another name for Fact." (Charles Dickens, Hard Times, Chapter 2) The first chapters of the novel were published in Household Words dated 1 April 1854, or April Fool's Day. The "third gentleman" that Dickens makes fun of is Henry Cole, who went on to become the first Director of the V&A. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.561-1980 |
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| Record created | January 12, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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