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Object Timeline

1938

  • We acquired this object.

1998

2015

2016

2024

  • You found it!

Sidewall (possibly England)

This is a sidewall. It is dated 1840–50 and we acquired it in 1938. Its medium is block-printed in distemper colors, polished ground. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

This Gothic Revival wallpaper is a good example of mid-century trompe l'oeil design. The ornate architectural work and scrolling acanthus visually projects out from the paper, while the viewer's eye is then drawn to the window to gaze upon the distant landscape.The design is printed in grisaille or shades of gray which is used to enhance the effect of the carved stone or plasterwork. A.W.N. Pugin was against trompe l'oeil designs because of the visual distortion they created on the two-dimensional wall surface.

This object was donated by Grace Lincoln Temple. It is credited Gift of Grace Lincoln Temple.

Its dimensions are

54 x 50.5 cm (21 1/4 x 19 7/8 in.)

Cite this object as

Sidewall (possibly England); block-printed in distemper colors, polished ground; 54 x 50.5 cm (21 1/4 x 19 7/8 in.); Gift of Grace Lincoln Temple; 1938-62-19

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18353603/ |title=Sidewall (possibly England) |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=26 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>