Acanthus thumbnail 1
Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Acanthus

Wallpaper
1875 (published)
Artist/Maker
Jeffrey & Co. (manufacturer)
Morris & Co. (publisher)
Morris, William (designer)
Place of origin
England (made)

Specimen of 'Acanthus' wallpaper, foliate pattern of brown acanthus leaves; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.
Part of 'Volume 1', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919).

Object details

Category
Wall Coverings
Object type
Wallpaper
TitleAcanthus (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
block-printed in distemper colours, on paper
Paper
Distemper
Colour Woodblock Print
Block Printing
Brief description
Specimen of 'Acanthus' wallpaper, foliate pattern of brown acanthus leaves; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; William Morris; Part of 'Volume 1', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919); England; 1875.
Physical description
Specimen of 'Acanthus' wallpaper, foliate pattern of brown acanthus leaves; Block-printed in distemper colours, on paper; Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.
Part of 'Volume 1', a pattern book containing 25 Morris & Co. patterns from 1862-81 (E.441-529-1919).
Dimensions
  • Size of volume height: 68.5cm
  • Size of volume width: 53.3cm
Dimensions from: 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.
Style
Arts and Crafts (Movement)
Marks and inscriptions
(Inscribed on the back in ink with title, number and price.)
Credit line
Given by Morris and Company
Object history
The 'Acanthus' design requires thirty separate woodblocks to complete the pattern.
Parry (see references) notes that: 'Acanthus was the first of a group of large-scale, heavily patterned and deep coloured papers: the others were Pimpernel (1876), Wreath (1876), Rose (1877) and Chrysanthemum (1877). The large size of this design requires thirty blocks to complete the pattern, making it an expensive paper costing 16s. a roll.'
Production
Within pattern book Volume 1 (1862-81).
Subjects depicted
All-Over Pattern
Leaves (Plant Materials)
Acanthus
Foliation (Pattern)
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.
  • Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris London : Philip Wilson in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 9 May-1 Sept. 1996, pp.212, 213, ill.
  • 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.
  • 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
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.494-1919

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 11, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O248561/acanthus-wallpaper-morris-william/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest