Conservatory

This is one of Edward Bawden's more figurative wallpapers, which he drew directly on to the printing plate at Curwen, in a process known as autolithography, in 1929. Bawden's early wallpapers for Curwen often contained people and animals and were full of humour. They seem to be natural extensions of his illustrations and paintings. But they would have been difficult wallpapers to live with and would have dominated a room. Throughout the 1930s though, Bawden became more interested in using formal and abstract patterns in his wallpaper designs. These more traditional papers were probably more commercial too, as they would have been less obtrusive.