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The Day Lily

Wallpaper
1897-98 (made)
Artist/Maker
Jeffrey & Co. (manufacturer)
Crane, Walter (designer)
Place of origin
England (made)

Walter Crane (1845-1915) was a painter and illustrator, and also a designer of stained glass, metalwork, tiles, pottery, wallpapers and textiles. He was a prolific designer and produced many wallpaper designs; most of these were produced by Jeffrey & Co., the firm which also printed William Morris's wallpapers.

Under Metford Warner, the proprietor of Jeffrey & Co., the company became one of the most innovative and successful wallpaper manufacturers in Europe. They raised standards of design in the industry by employing artists such as Crane.

Object details

Categories
Wall Coverings
Prints
Object type
Wallpaper
TitleThe Day Lily (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Colour woodblock print, on paper
Paper
Colour Woodblock Print
Brief description
Portion of 'Day Lily' wallpaper; lilies, predominantly dark blue, turquoise, green with some yellow and gold, on a dark blue background with a large circle motif at regular intervals composed of small rings in gold; Designed by Walter Crane; Colour woodblock print, on paper; Produced by Jeffrey & Co.; England; 1897-98.
Physical description
Portion of 'Day Lily' wallpaper with design of lilies in predominantly dark blue, turquoise, green with some yellow and gold. The background is dark blue with a large circle motif at regular intervals (one complete circle on this portion) composed of small rings in gold. The lilies are printed in turquoise blocked lines with the blue background showing through, and have green stalks; Colour woodblock print, on paper.
Dimensions
  • Height: 74.5cm
  • Width: 50.8cm
Style
Arts and Crafts
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
(14/12/2000)
British Galleries:
Walter Crane was the first president of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. He developed his figurative style through illustrating books, having served his apprenticeship in 1859 to William Linton, woodengraver, under whom he trained as a draughtsman on wood. He was a prolific commercial designer and worked for many different manufacturers. Crane moved from painting murals on walls to designing wallpapers in the 1870s. He designed fifty wallpapers for Jeffrey & Co. from 1874. Fourteen years later, Crane wrote an essay entitled 'Of Wallpapers' for the 'Arts and Crafts Exhibition Catalogue'.
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Subjects depicted
Lilies
Circles
Summary
Walter Crane (1845-1915) was a painter and illustrator, and also a designer of stained glass, metalwork, tiles, pottery, wallpapers and textiles. He was a prolific designer and produced many wallpaper designs; most of these were produced by Jeffrey & Co., the firm which also printed William Morris's wallpapers.

Under Metford Warner, the proprietor of Jeffrey & Co., the company became one of the most innovative and successful wallpaper manufacturers in Europe. They raised standards of design in the industry by employing artists such as Crane.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
  • St James' Budget, 15 April 1898.
  • St James' Budget, 15 April 1898
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1919, London: Printed Under the Authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1921
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus et al. Art Nouveau, London : Arts Council, 1965 no.28
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.5149-1919

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Record createdFebruary 1, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O131236/the-day-lily-wallpaper-crane-walter/
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