Object Timeline
1935 |
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1991 |
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2012 |
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2014 |
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2016 |
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2024 |
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Sidewall (possibly England)
This is a Sidewall. It is dated 1770–80 and we acquired it in 1935. Its medium is block printed on handmade paper. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.
This wallpaper was designed in the style of Jean Pillement, the celebrated French illustrator of chinoiserie and some-time royal painter to Marie Antoinette. The repeating pattern of flowers and foliage show Asian motifs as interpreted through a Western lense. In 1755 a folio entitled A New Book of Chinese Ornaments, Invented and Engraved by Pillement was published in England. At the time, British fashion celebrated all things Oriental, but the difficulty of travel between Europe and the East meant that demand for Asian artworks far exceeded the availability of genuine articles. Naturally, English manufacturers took it upon themselves to end the shortage by producing their own Eastern-inspired wares.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Chinoiserie Wallpaper.
This object was
donated by
Mrs. Luke Vincent Lockwood.
It is credited Gift of Mrs. Luke Vincent Lockwood.
Its dimensions are
152 x 50.5 cm (59 13/16 x 19 7/8 in.)
Cite this object as
Sidewall (possibly England); block printed on handmade paper; 152 x 50.5 cm (59 13/16 x 19 7/8 in.); Gift of Mrs. Luke Vincent Lockwood; 1935-6-1
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition The Cooper-Hewitt Collections: A Design Resource.