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Wallpaper

1848 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
In Britain, paper printed with patterns has been used for decorating walls since the 16th century. By the late 19th century wallpapers were widely used by all classes, in homes and also in public buildings.

Places
This wallpaper was designed especially for the Palace of Westminster. The pattern incorporates references to its purpose. The crowned portcullis is the symbol for the Palace, and the crowned flower is the Tudor rose, a Royal emblem. The letters 'V' and 'R' stand for Victoria Regina - Queen Victoria. The design was intended to symbolise the authority of Crown and Parliament.

Design & Designing
A.W.N. Pugin (1812-1852) was responsible for the design of almost all the furnishings of the Palace of Westminster, including more than a hundred wallpapers.Pugin was a leading design reformer. He held strong views on what was appropriate in the decoration of domestic furnishings. In particular he believed that flat surfaces such as walls should be decorated only with flat patterns, and not patterns that gave the illusion of depth and substance.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
read A brief history of wallpaper The history of wallpaper is not simply a history of ornamental patterns and designs. It is also a fascinating record of technological ingenuity and changes in patterns of consumption and domestic taste.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Colour woodblock print, on paper
Brief description
Unused portion of a wallpaper, with a pattern of the Tudor rose and portcullis, and the initials 'VR'; gold, brown and red on a dark-red ground; Colour woodblock print, on paper; Designed by A. W. N. Pugin for the Houses of Parliament; Produced by Samuel Scott for J. G. Crace; England; 1848.
Physical description
Unused portion of a wallpaper, with a pattern of the Tudor rose and portcullis, and the initials VR; gold, brown and red on a dark-red ground; Colour woodblock print, on paper.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19cm
  • Width: 13.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
Coles 0147 (Inscribed in ink on the back.)
Gallery label
(27/03/2003)
British Galleries:
This striking design is typical of A.W.N. Pugin's bold wallpaper patterns. The crowned portcullis is the symbol for the Palace of Westminster and the crowned flower is the Tudor rose. The letters 'V' and 'R' stand for Victoria Regina - Queen Victoria.
Credit line
Given by Cole & Son (Wallpapers) Ltd.
Object history
Given by Cole & Son (Wallpapers) Ltd.
Designed by A.W. N. Pugin (born in London, 1812, died in Ramsgate, Kent, 1852); manufactured in London by Samuel Scott, for the firm of J.G. Crace.
Designed for use in the Houses of Parliament.
Production
Designed for use in the Houses of Parliament.
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
Object Type
In Britain, paper printed with patterns has been used for decorating walls since the 16th century. By the late 19th century wallpapers were widely used by all classes, in homes and also in public buildings.

Places
This wallpaper was designed especially for the Palace of Westminster. The pattern incorporates references to its purpose. The crowned portcullis is the symbol for the Palace, and the crowned flower is the Tudor rose, a Royal emblem. The letters 'V' and 'R' stand for Victoria Regina - Queen Victoria. The design was intended to symbolise the authority of Crown and Parliament.

Design & Designing
A.W.N. Pugin (1812-1852) was responsible for the design of almost all the furnishings of the Palace of Westminster, including more than a hundred wallpapers.Pugin was a leading design reformer. He held strong views on what was appropriate in the decoration of domestic furnishings. In particular he believed that flat surfaces such as walls should be decorated only with flat patterns, and not patterns that gave the illusion of depth and substance.
Associated object
D.719-1908 (Design)
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.
  • Saunders, Gill. Wallpaper in Interior Decoration. V&A Publications. London. 2002. pp. 105. pl 88.
  • Julius Bryant, ed. Art and Design for All. The Victoria and Albert Museum London: V&A Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 9781851776665.
  • 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
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters And Methods Since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 135, fig. 108
  • Cristina Acidini Luchinat (Editor) Gianfranco Brunelli (Editor) Francesco Parisi (Editor) Elizabeth Prettejohn (Editor) Peter Trippi (Editor) Musei San Domenico (Forlì, Italy) (Host institution) Preraffaelliti : rinascimento moderno Milano: Dario Cimorelli editore, 2024
Collection
Accession number
E.150-1976

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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