Design for floor covering
about 1895
Classification
ornament
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Cooper Union Art School
Accession Number
1953-31-29
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This elegant *Design for Floor Covering*, created around 1895 by students or faculty at the Cooper Union Art School, exemplifies the vibrant decorative arts education of late 19th-century New. Cooper Union, founded in 9 by industrialist Peter Cooper, offered free classes in art and design to working-class New Yorkers, fostering talents in ornamental patterns essential for the era's booming textile and home furnishing industries. As part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection—gifted directly by the school—this piece reflects the institution's emphasis on practical, innovative desig...