Fragment of wall covering from the dining room of the Worsham-Rockefeller House

Attributed to Christopher Dresser British, Scottish

1878–82

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This remarkably well-preserved fragment of wall covering survives from the dining room of the Worsham-Rockefeller House. It is made of Lincrusta Walton, a heavy paper impregnated with linseed oil and embossed with an allover pattern, a relatively durable wall treatment that became popular during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The embossed pattern of highly stylized blossoms and leaves, accented in gold on a rich burgundy ground, is reminiscent of work by British Reform designers such as Bruce J. Talbert and William Morris. An identical wall treatment was found in the Chicago banker Samuel Nickerson’s house, with interiors also overseen by Schastey. This fragment gives a sense of the rich color and texture of interiors now lost.

Artwork Details

Overview

Title: Fragment of wall covering from the dining room of the Worsham-Rockefeller House
Artist: Attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1834–1904 Mulhouse)
Date: 1878–82
Culture: American
Medium: Embossed and gilded composition material
Dimensions: 23 5/8 × 21 7/16 in. (60 × 54.5 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of John Davison Rockefeller, Jr., Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Curatorial Department: The American Wing