Wallpaper 1935 - 1942

Lee Hager made this wallpaper design with what looks like watercolor and graphite. There’s something about the way the pink roses and lavender blossoms are rendered – they feel both delicate and very intentional. The colors are gentle, almost muted, and this gives the whole piece a kind of soft, romantic feel. Look at how the blush background is overlaid with a lattice of looping forms. Hager uses this subtle background to create depth while maintaining a sense of flatness, typical of surface pattern designs. The eye is drawn to the individual flowers and their looping vine supports, while the looping network behind weaves these individual elements together to form a coherent composition. I think of other artists like William Morris who used pattern and surface design to explore new possibilities for art to enhance everyday life. Hager, like many designers, encourages us to consider the beauty of repetition and the artistry of design.