Low Relief Ceiling Decoration
designer
Blanche E. Colman
(1874 - 1959, Westwood, Massachusetts)
manufacturer
L. Haberstroh & Son
(active Boston, 1870 - 1912)
Date1902
Place MadeBoston, Massachusetts, United States, North America
MediumHaberstroh process using a semi-fibrous plastic material
ClassificationsArchitectural Elements
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberU26c1
eMuseum ID729150
EmbARK ObjectID46312
TMS Source ID22489
Last Updated8/9/24
Status
Not on viewWeb Commentary
This low relief design of ivy leaves on the ceiling of the Titian Room resembles plaster work but was probably made using the Haberstroh Process, a patented technique using a semi-fibrous plastic material.
Isabella Stewart Gardner meticulously oversaw every detail in her Museum and asked local interior design firm, L. Haberstoh & Son, to design a low relief element for the gallery’s ceiling to introduce a delicate play of light and shadow. Haberstroh turned to his talented young designer, Blanche E. Colman, who was eager to tackle the challenge. After two proposals, Isabella approved her design.
BibliographyNotesElizabeth Reluga, "Trailblazer: Blanche E. Colman," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 27 July 2021, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/trailblazer-blanche-e-colman
ProvenanceNotesCommissioned by Isabella Stewart Gardner from the interior design firm L. Haberstroh & Son, Boston, on 28 February 1902 for $125, with the Raphael Room ceiling work.
