<img width="560" height="1024" src="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Image features an arabesque wallpaper design, formatted in two columns, each balanced along a central axis. Please scroll down to read the blog post about this object." style="display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear:both;max-width: 100%;" srcset="https://uh8yh30l48rpize52xh0q1o6i-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1.jpg 560w, https://uh8yh30l48rpize52xh0q1o6i-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1-164x300.jpg 164w, https://uh8yh30l48rpize52xh0q1o6i-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1-129x235.jpg 129w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" data-attachment-id="30954" data-permalink="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2018/08/22/delicately-defying-gravity/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1/" data-orig-file="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1.jpg" data-orig-size="560,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b[1]" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1-164x300.jpg" data-large-file="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/46631_679d7e268675f3d5_b1.jpg" />The period from 1780-1820 produced some beautiful neoclassical wallpapers, of which the arabesque designs are a prime example. These wallpapers were inspired by the excavations of the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum which began in 1758. This wallpaper, which has seen better days, is an excellent example. On an arabesque design all of the elements...
