Design for a Salon with a Textile Wall Treatment called "Java", for the Villa Raczynski in Bregenz, Austria
Henry Penon French
Not on view
This drawing presents the wall and window treatment for three walls of a room. The main feature consists of the wall covering, which shows a landscape with exotic plants, monkeys, and birds. The inscription below specifies that it concerns a textile wall treatment called "Java", named after the Indonesian Island. One window and two other doors are further treated in rich green velvet draperies. The contemporary inscription specifies that the design was made for a salon in Germany for a "comte Razinski". It is likely that this refers to Count Carl Eduard Nalecz von Raczynski who bought land in Bregenz (Austria) in the 1870s and built a villa there for his wife Karoline Theresia Maria in 1876–77. This date is consistent with the date on the drawing. The couple remained childless, and after their deaths, the villa was turned into a convent known as Kloster Marienberg.
