Victorian Wallpaper: Subjects & Themes
Browse works by subject category
Floral
Wallpaper's most common theme, from scattered sprigs to the large flower patterns of the Morris era.
1052 worksFoliage And Vines
Leaves, acanthus, branches and climbing stems that give many reform-era patterns their rhythm.
993 worksMetallic And Mica
420 worksScrollwork And Damask
Curving scrolls and large silk-inspired motifs that imitate woven hangings.
411 worksGeometric
Lattices, diapers and interlaced forms, often drawn from the ornament books of Owen Jones and Christopher Dresser.
408 worksEmbossed And Flocked
Papers with raised or velvety surfaces, imitating leather, plaster and cut velvet.
350 worksStripes
Plain, watered and floral stripes, a popular choice for walls from the Regency onwards.
324 worksMedallions
235 worksRoses
Cabbage roses, rosebuds and garlands, a staple of Victorian bedroom and parlour papers.
215 worksNeoclassical
161 worksAesthetic Movement
Flat, stylised sunflowers, peacocks and geometric patterns from the Aesthetic taste for tiered walls.
151 worksBorders And Friezes
Narrow bands and deep upper-wall panels that framed the wall and ceiling.
128 worksScenic Wallpaper
Panoramic papers that depict landscapes and views across a whole room, made by French firms such as Zuber.
110 worksAnglo-Japanese
Designs inspired by Japanese fans, birds, blossoms and bamboo, popular in the 1870s and 1880s.
93 worksDecoration And Ornament
88 worksGrammar Of Ornament
The chromolithographed plates of Owen Jones's 1856 survey of ornament from many cultures.
88 works