Wall Paper Border
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 38 x 55.8 cm (14 15/16 x 21 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 17" wide; 6 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16240
Art Historical Context
**Wall Paper Border** by Frances Lichten, created around 1937, is a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, capturing the intricate pattern of an American wallpaper border. Measuring 38 x 55.8 cm, this work meticulously documents a decorative strip originally 17 inches wide and 6½ inches high, showcasing repeating motifs typical of early 20th-century domestic design. Lichten's precise lines and subtle color washes bring to life the floral or geometric elements that would have adorned homes, evoking the charm of everyday American interiors. As part of the *Index of American D...
About the Artist
Frances Lichten
Frances Lichten was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, in 1889. At fourteen she enrolled in the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art, where she studied design and interior decoration, while also pursuing landscape painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating she worked as a commercial artist for nearly a decade, building the technical foundation that would later serve...