I dropped into the Victoria & Albert Museum one afternoon to locate the work of the 19th century specialist decorator extraordinaire, Thomas Kershaw (1819-1898). Best known for his high-quality faux marble effects and wood graining, Kershaw was Victorian England’s leading specialist decorator at a time when society was enamoured with decorative painting and hand-painted novelties of all kinds.
Tracking Down The Prince of Grainers and Marblers
A series of Kershaw’s faux marble and wood grained panels are on display in the V&A. They took a bit of finding (stumped the docents), but together we eventually tracked them down on the landing just before entering the British Galleries. I’ve since learned that an in-situ sample of historic marbling (probably Kershaw’s) survives at the corner of the Leighton corridor that includes the Theatre galleries. So a return visit is in order. The five Kershaw panels show special effects painting at its height. They include hand painted renditions of satinwood, yew, Emperor’s Red marble, green marble and Brescia brown marble. It’s not hard to see why Kershaw earned the sobriquet, The Prince of Grainers and Marblers.
Live Faux Effects Demo Silenced Critics
Born in Lancashire, Thomas Kershaw undertook an apprenticeship of nearly a decade as a painter and decorator. By 1845 he had moved to London, where he worked for W. Cubitt and Company. By the mid-1850s he had set up his own specialist decorating firm on Baker Street in London. Kershaw won first prize for his faux marble panels at the Great Exhibition in 1851. This was followed by a gold medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1855. The story goes that Kershaw’s marbling and graining was so realistic that French master painters accused him of trickery. They believed his samples weren’t hand painted but instead the result of transfers, thin veneers or sleight of hand. Kershaw scotched the accusations by staging a live demo, and the cynical French decorators had to eat their hats and concede that their rival’s work “must be regarded as masterpieces” (p.11)
Marbleised Columns at Buckingham Palace and Osborne House
Among Kershaw’s best-known commissions were huge columns at the entrance of the V&A Museum painted to imitate the appearance of Brèche violette (referring to the brecchiated marble mined in Serravezza, Italy). Also called Violet Breche or Breche Violet, this distinguished marble is characterised by dramatic mosaic-like patterns in hues of violet, purple, lilac, pink and white. He was also commissioned by Prince Albert to marbleise columns at Buckingham Palace and in the drawing room at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, in addition to undertaking projects at Dorchester House and Fishmongers’ Hall.
Though primarily known as a grainer and marbeleiser, Kershaw also developed other specialist decorating techniques, for example, imitation embossed leather and damask silk. During the 19th century, artist-decorators who specialised in faux painting techniques could earn a good living, and Kershaw died in 1898 a wealthy man. He reportedly left a legacy of £158,267 to his heirs—the equivalent of around £20 million today. That’s considerably more than you can say for the prospects of most artisans 176 years on!
Faux Marble Effects in Today’s Interiors
Kershaw’s style was naturalistic, producing a finish amazingly close to nature. But it’s also worth mentioning that throughout the history of specialist decorating, faux marble paint effects and wood graining have also been inspired by individual interpretation and flights of fancy, becoming their own form of artistic expression. White Carrara marble remains a popular choice for faux marble paint effects—at least among my clients—perhaps because it works so well in both modern and traditional interiors. But minimalist, painterly and rustic riffs in both marbling and wood graining can add drama, whimsy and character to furniture and interior design schemes.