V & A DECORATIVE PAPERS II Wallpaper Pattern Number 2412-180-05

Kilburn’s Maze

Based on the artwork of William Kilburn, a well-known calico designer and printer of the 18th century, this intricate, magical design has an amazingly contemporary feel. The V&A houses many of his watercolour creations in the Kilburn Album, where his artistry combines floral themes with exotic foliage, inviting you to embark on a journey into a whimsical imaginary world. Kilburn honed his talent to accurately illustrate plants through the discipline of botanical art. Botanical painting’s rigidity – always scientifically and botanically correct – must have fuelled Kilburn’s desire to embrace a more original, free-flowing expression, which finally led him to a career in printed fabric design. By operating his own calico printing facility in Wallington, Surrey, he would find renown and success with his exquisitely detailed floral fabrics.

Archive inspiration: Design for a printed cotton, William Kilburn (1745-1818), London, 1788-92

Exclusive to Resene Colorshops and Resene Resellers.

Printed in the UK by 1838 Wallcoverings.