French Patterns

Anonymous French Designer
Medallions and Bouquets
ca. 1785
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Floral Basket
ca. 1805
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Twining Garlands
ca. 1815-25
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Interlocking Shapes
ca. 1820-40
block-printed wallpaper border
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Gothic Tracery
ca. 1840-60
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Osborne
ca. 1850
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Renaissance Revival Bouquet
1860
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Trompe-l'oeil Blinds
ca. 1860
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Masquerade Ball at the Opera House
1883
machine-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Floral Stripes
ca. 1875-1900
block-printed and embossed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Garden Scene imitating Découpage
1920
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Adventure Stories
1923
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Blossoms on Branches
ca. 1928-29
machine-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Blossoms on Trellis
ca. 1928-29
machine-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Bunches of Grapes
ca. 1928-29
embossed and airbrushed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Leaves and Flowers
ca. 1928-29
machine-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Anonymous French Designer
Feather Plumes
1934
block-printed wallpaper
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Death's Lecture at the Funeral of a Young Gentleman.

Dear Reliques of a dislodg'd Soul, whose lack

Makes many a mourning paper put on black!

O stay a while, ere thou draw in thy head

And wind thy self up close in thy cold bed. 

Stay but a little while, untill I call

A summons worthy of thy funerall.

Come then, Youth, Beauty, & blood!

                All ye soft powres,

Whose sylken flatteryes swell a few fond howres

Into a false æternity.  Come man;

Hyperbolizèd Nothing!   know thy span;

Take thine own measure here; down, down, & bow

Before thy self in thine idæa; thou

Huge emptynes! contract thy self; & shrinke

All thy Wild circle to a Point.  O sink

Lower & lower yet; till thy leane size 

Call heav'n to look on thee with narrow eyes.

Lesser & lesser yet; till thou begin

To show a face, fitt to confesse thy Kin,

Thy neighbourhood to Nothing. 

Proud lookes, & lofty eyliddes, here putt on

Your selves in your unfaign'd reflexion,

Here, gallant ladyes! this unpartiall glasse

(Though you be painted) showes you your true face.

These death-seal'd lippes are they dare give the ly

To the lewd Boasts of poor Mortality.

These curtain'd windows, this retired eye

Outstares the liddes of larg-look't tyranny.

This posture is the brave one, this that lyes

Thus low, stands up (me thinkes) thus & defies

The world.  All-daring dust & ashes! only you

Of all interpreters read Nature True. 

– Richard Crashaw (1652)