Sheet of Wallpaper with Umbellifers, Butterflies, and Dragonflies c. 1894
drawing, paper, graphite
pattern heavy
drawing
natural stone pattern
naturalistic pattern
art-nouveau
flower
paper
pattern design
repetition of pattern
graphite
pattern repetition
textile design
imprinted textile
layered pattern
pattern work
Dimensions: height 625 mm, width 824 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Theo Nieuwenhuis created this wallpaper design featuring umbellifers, butterflies, and dragonflies. The umbellifers, plants like Queen Anne's lace, evoke the fleeting beauty of nature. But look closer, and you'll notice that there's not a single Queen Anne's lace, but many, organized in a rhythmic symmetry. Consider how the butterfly, a symbol of metamorphosis, has fluttered through centuries of art and culture. In ancient Greece, Psyche, the soul, was often depicted with butterfly wings, representing the transformative journey of the soul. It reappears in vanitas paintings as a reminder of the transience of life. The presence of both butterflies and dragonflies infuses this wallpaper with a delicate tension, like a dream on the wall, reminding us of the eternal dance between life and death. These images stir something deep within us, connecting us to the symbolic language of our ancestors and the natural world.
Comments
In 1906 the painter and graphic artist Willem Witsen had a room of his house on Amsterdam’s Oosterpark lined with this wallpaper. He chose the pattern with yellow umbellifers on a purple background. The receipts have been preserved and we know that Witsen ordered 200 sheets of paper at 25 cents a piece. Except for some discolouration, the wallpaper in this room is still intact.
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Nieuwenhuis was a versatile decorative artist who designed furniture, carpets, wall coverings, and earthenware. In 1894 he drew wallpaper designs in three different patterns. The wallpaper with umbellifers, butterflies, dragonflies, and tiny ladybirds was available in six different colour combinations. It was printed on sheets measuring approximately 60 x 80 centimetres that had to be carefully matched up by the paperhanger.
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