Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) was a British novelist, short-story writer, and literary critic who spent her creative life pushing the boundaries of literature. One of the most important figures of English literary modernism, Woolf set out to crystallize reality, to capture moments of being, and to expose the innermost thoughts of her characters in the barest way.

This bold, artful cover design for Woolf’s essay collection The Common Reader: Second Series was created by Woolf’s sister, Vanessa Bell (1879–1961), with ink and pencil on paper, circa 1932. Reproducing a piece of literary history in exquisite detail, this decoupage tray from John Derian’s studio is a lovely way to commemorate Woolf’s influential body of work.

John Derian Company was established in 1989. Their line of decoupage is made by hand in New York City’s East Village.

 NYPL’s exhibition Virginia Woolf: A Modern Mind provided an intimate view of the author’s life and creative process through her personal notebooks and diaries, family photographs, and unpublished letters. The exhibition was drawn entirely from the holdings of the Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature at The New York Public Library, which houses one of the most important collections of her writings in the world.

Exclusive to NYPL 

Handmade in NYC

Product: Collaged paper under handblown glass

Dim: Approx. 5″ x 8″

Item Number: 5X8