The Verona

This jute wallcovering was designed by Arthur Silver for manufacturer Rottman-Silver in about 1895. In the late nineteenth century, heavily stylised flowers and leaves such as these were popular art nouveau motifs. However, the shading used to colour the design is unusual – art nouveau patterns typically use flat areas of colour. This design was created using a new stencilling technique invented by Arthur Silver in the early 1890s.