Wallpaper

Object Name:

Wallpaper

Object ID:

1961.032.12

Place of Origin:

France

Date:

circa 1900

Description:

Wallpaper, white, gold. Empire design. Ornate, repeating central vase with flowers, putti, birds, ornate ribbons and swags. Also lion heads. Gold decorations have smooth, flat areas and textures areas that help alleviate design elements that are part of the physical vase and the previously-described ornaments of plant and animal life. Background behind gold consists of large field that is slightly gray. Has some faint, irregular stippling that runs vertically behind gold. A number of narrow, vertical lines with small horizontal branches off of them that are slightly abstract. Vertical repeat of central design that is 22.75" high. At either edge, same design is repeated in the right or left half of central design. This allows adjoining pieces of paper to complete the design by aligning the halves of the design element. Design of sides, offset vertically by about 11.4", which is almost half of the repeat. Design elements in gold are almost bilaterally symmetrical. Some of the texturing in the design elements is not symmetrical. Some slight symmetrical variation in the small floral group between and above the putti. From back in raking light, one can see the impressions of the design in the paper. On right side, blank edge strip 0.55" wide and on left side, blank strip 0.7" wide. Some light gray vertical marks in the blank strips on either side that consist of lines, dots, and X's in irregular patterns.
Written on back in pencil script: "Import from France / by Mrs. Edith Rockefeller McCormick / Chicago, Il, / [by] a [..] and antiques Dealer of / Paris by Birge C[O] / DuFour 1820." Noted in accession record, "Attributed to DuFour, 1820."

Material:

Paper

Dimensions:

H-33.1 W-19.7 inches

Credit Line:

Gift of Mr. Mrs. Gardner L. King

People:

McCormick, Edith, King, Gardner L. (1893-1963), King, Constance J. (1893-1984)