The History of Wallpaper

Wallpaper is the most ephemeral of the decorations produced for the home yet its history is a long and fascinating subject that dates back to the 16th century and encompasses a huge range of patterns by both anonymous designers and by some of the best-known names in the 19th and 20th centuries. This course allows you to explore the development of wallpaper from earliest times to the present day. Discuss the changing ways in which wallpaper was made with experts through a survey of designs from the first black and white patterns, the creation of elegant flock hangings, the fashion for Chinese hand-painted papers, the introduction of machine-printing, the designs of Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement, and the taste for Modernist and Contemporary designs in the 20th century. You will also explore the ways that wallpapers were used within grand and more ordinary homes and hopes to justify the claim that they were indeed a truly decorative art.