Panel
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; block or roller printed; glazed; edged with wool
Dimensions
229.5 × 130.3 cm (90 3/8 × 51 1/4 in.); Repeat: 106.4 × 31.7 cm (41 7/8 × 12 1/2 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
133793
Art Historical Context
This elegant textile panel, designed by Augustus Welby North Pugin between 1849 and 1851, exemplifies the Gothic Revival master's vision for reviving medieval craftsmanship in everyday interiors. Crafted from cotton plain weave, it was block- or roller-printed, then glazed for a subtle sheen and edged with wool for durability. Measuring nearly 7.5 feet tall with a repeating pattern unit of about 3.5 by 1 foot, it likely served as a curtain, wall hanging, or room divider in Victorian homes or ecclesiastical spaces. Pugin, a leading architect of the Gothic Revival movement—best known for his co...
About the Artist
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin · 1812–1852
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852) was a British architect, designer, and theorist whose fervent advocacy for Gothic architecture transformed Victorian Britain's built environment and established the intellectual foundations of the Gothic Revival movement. Born in London to the French architect and draughtsman Auguste Charles Pugin, he showed exceptional talent from childhood, producing de...