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Decorative arts

Peacock Garden Frieze

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Type
Decorative arts(Opens in new tab)
Date
ca. 1889
Accession number
2001.20
Maker
Walter Crane(Opens in new tab) (British, 1845–1915)
Manufacturer
Jeffrey and Company(Opens in new tab) (British)
Dimensions
72 x 21 1/4 in. (182.9 x 54 cm.)
Medium
distemper on paper
Description
This is a wallpaper frieze showing scroll and leafwork in blues and green. Across the center, on dark blue speckled ground, march peacocks, facing left, left legs held up as if about to take a step forward. Their tail feathers trail on the ground behind them. Acanthus leaves twist between and around the birds.
Credit
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Department
European Art
Find out more
View in the Art Museum catalog(Opens in new tab)
Walter Crane practiced in many different artistic fields, working as a painter, book illustrator, and stained glass and pattern designer. In the 1880s, Crane designed a number of patterns that were printed by Jeffrey and Company, the same firm that printed Morris & Company wallpapers. In this wallpaper frieze, Crane used a favorite motif of peacocks. The patterns of swirling leaves show his knowledge of Morris's design.

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