Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Fragment of wall covering from the dining room of the Worsham-Rockefeller House
Attributed to Christopher Dresser British, Scottish
Not on view
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.
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