Vintage Silhouette Art Gallery Wall Mantel
One of my favorite things to collect is vintage art. I have amassed quite a bit of silhouettes over the years and some were in storage so I decided they all needed to be displayed together. I created a unique way to display a vintage silhouette art gallery wall and I’m loving the way it looks on my fall mantel.
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I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately but I have a renewed energy when it comes to decorating. Maybe it’s the change of seasons but whatever it is, I am not complaining.
This chalkboard sat naked and afraid on my mantel for months until inspiration struck and I am loving this new look just in time for fall.
I love the graphic nature of a simple black and white silhouette. Plus it’s fun to wonder who these people are!
Most of these people are complete strangers except for my husband and my girls. My husband likes to say, “do we know any of these people”?!
When my girls were little, an artist at Disney World made their silhouettes and they are tucked into this display too. Do you recognize them? Their silhouettes are my blog logo?!
It was amazing to watch the artist create these by just looking at the girls while cutting the paper by hand!
Brief History of Silhouettes
Silhouettes were a popular art form in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries because they were inexpensive and quick to create.
The word silhouette comes from the name of the 18th century French finance minister Etienne de Silhouette. He was known for his extreme cost-cutting so it was only fitting that a paper cutting art be named after him.
Earlier names for silhouettes include profiles, shades, and shadow pictures.
There are three types of silhouettes: painted, hollow-cut (profile cut from light colored paper and placed over a dark background), and cut-and-pasted (profile cut from black paper and pasted onto a white background).
As photography became more common in the mid 19th century, silhouettes fell out of fashion.
There’s even a stray dog that found his way into my collection and I hope to find more animal silhouettes in the future.
Wanting to continue the black and white theme, I added a white Staffordshire dog and my antique Boston Terrier cast iron doorstop. It’s one of my most prized possessions and reminds me of my dog Sushi.
My Limelight Hydrangeas are thriving and I love nothing more than cutting flowers from my garden and bringing them inside.
Love silhouettes as much as I do? Don’t miss this post where I share my favorite silhouette gallery walls (including my old one before my collection got so big)!
Hi Kelly! Your silhouette wall gallery is amazing! Yes, Fall decorating does rejuvenate me, too. Thanks for sharing.
Bring on all the pumpkins, I’m ready for it Kelly!
I love your silhouettes and that history lesson, really interesting. I am ready for cooler weather but not for the pumpkins. I love that Sushi pillow so cute!
I am going to get a couple of real pumpkins for my porch in late September! Happy almost fall Marlene!
Hi Kelly. Love the mantel!!! Would you mind sharing your source for the sisal rug in front of the mantel?
Thanks Kelly!
Thanks so much Laurie! My rug is from Sisal Rugs Direct and it’s gorgeous! I had it custom cut to fit the room exactly. I wrote a post all about it with more pics and link to the exact rug here: https://www.kellyelko.com/custom-cut-area-rugs/
I love the chalkboard idea! It’s so special having your girls and husbands silhouettes too! So many stories behind the silhouettes.