Lily Pattern Frame
1888–89
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper, joined and laid down onto wood frame, and varnished
Dimensions
Frame: 55.9 × 40 cm (22 1/16 × 15 3/4 in.)
Classification
frame
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
212763
Art Historical Context
Theodore Roussel’s *Lily Pattern Frame* (1888–89) transforms the traditional role of a picture frame into the artwork itself. Created as an etching in black on ivory laid paper, the delicate lily motif is joined and laid directly onto a wooden structure before being varnished, resulting in a seamless, object-like piece measuring 55.9 × 40 cm. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Prints and Drawings, this hybrid work invites viewers to appreciate both the printed design and its physical support as a unified whole. Roussel’s innovative approach highlights the creative possibil...
About the Artist
Theodore Roussel · 1847–1926
Theodore Casimir Roussel was born on 23 March 1847 in Lorient, Brittany, France, into a naval family. After serving in the Franco-Prussian War, he began painting in 1872 as an entirely self-taught artist, initially rendering scenes of daily life in the meticulous style of the Old Masters. In 1878, he settled permanently in London, where he immersed himself in the vibrant British art scene. There, ...