During the Victoran era, wallpapers fell into two classes: simple and complicated. Often borders differentiated each section, which bore distinctive yet interrelated patterns (Leopold 18). Wallpaper was now applied directly to plaster walls and by the beginning of the 1800s, dividing the wall into three parts - the dado, filler and frieze - became fashionable. The Manchester Exhibitions of 1849 also contributed to their popularity, which led to the inclusion of an entire wallpaper section at Great Exhibition of 1851, showcasing an overwhelming variety of designs. The use of wallpaper became so widespread that in 1712, England introduced a tax on paper that was "painted, printed or stained to serve as hangings." The industry continued to grow in spite of this and the development of a printing machine in 1839 that allowed for the printing of endless lengths of paper led to an expansion from 1,000,000 pieces in 1834 to 19,000,000 pieces in 1861 (Bridgeman 301). Along with these practical reasons, wallpaper provided a decorative element that could reflect different materials and enhance the room's interior. Wallpaper's popularity increased in Elizabethan England and throughout Europe, a fascination began with these fine papers that offered protection against dampness and an improved ability to handle fireplace smoke (Krasner-Khait). Instead, it was pasted onto linen and the linen was then attached to the walls. Though called wallpaper, the paper was not attached directly to the wall until the 1800s. The first wallpapers were decorations made for wood panels, printed by wood blocks and then colored in by hand. Thus wallpaper began as a cheap substitute for this rich tapestry and paneling, as a less expensive alternative to the wall-hangings of the wealthy. During the Medieval Ages painted patterns on walls and canvas as well as woven tapestries adorned the interior of churches and castles (Gloag 53). He tradition of wall decoration dates back to Egyptian and Roman wall paintings, and the early Chinese produced sheets of rice paper painted with birds, flowers and landscapes.
0 kommentar(er)
