THE GONDOLIER, a new design for Zoffany

The latest fabric and wallpaper design by Melissa White

This scenic design forms part of Zoffany's new TESPI Collection launching September 2013

Following the success of our Arden Collection with Zoffany last year I was invited to produce artwork for their new Tespi collection which aims to "transport you to a place where the grandeur of Venice in bygone days meets the charm of Umbria"

The commission was to design and paint a Venice scene featuring iconic canals, bridges and architecture.

So here is the original artwork at my studio, painted to scale on plaster so I could rub it back and distress it a little before it went off to the Zoffany team to be processed.

The collection is inspired by the creative legacy of the amazing Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny.

The Tespi Collection is "based on antique brocades, damasks, velvets and paisleys found in the Zoffany archive, the designs were re-worked by the (zoffany) design studio using contemporary techniques such as printing on foil and digital printing to capture the spirit of the original textiles. The Collection is complemented by the luxurious Tespi Prints, Weaves and Embroideries." 

From Zoffany's website: 

My figurative Gondolier print completes the collection by adding a narrative twist.

Tespi is Zoffany at its most sumptuous and opulent and the fabrics really need to be handled to appreciate their luxuriousness.

The Gondolier will be available soon as a wallpaper and a velvet (colourways are Dawn, Sunset and Twilight)

Tespi will launch at Zoffany's Chelsea Harbour showroom during FOCUS and features in the October issues of Elle Decoration and World of Interiors:

Learn more about the rest of the gorgeous Tespi Collection on Zoffany's Facebook page

See the Zoffany website for stockists