Five wallpaper panels, China, 18th century-0

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Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.16005

Five wallpaper panels, China, 18th century

Dimensions
Width 30'' ¾ 78cm
Height 104'' ⅜ 265cm

Origin:
China, XVIIIe siècle

These five wallpaper panels are hung on canvas stretched over wooden frames. Against a plain beige background, a hilly landscape unfolds across the lower quarter of the panels. Each panel features a young tree, the focal point of the gaze, around which bloom supple branches laden with flowers. Inspired by traditional Chinese motifs, numerous flower varieties are featured, such as peonies, camellias, hawthorns, and plum blossoms. While the depictions are not always botanically accurate, this is due to the symbolism Chinese tradition imbues with flowers. The branches shelter a few fruits and a variety of wildlife: butterflies, green parakeets, male and female pheasants, sparrows, and woodpeckers, while wading birds flutter near a body of water.

Chinese wallpapers were highly prized in Europe from the late 17th century onward. Introduced to France by the East India Company, they were intended for the most luxurious interiors. In Europe, the second half of the 18th century marked the height of this fashion. Our five panels feature a precise and assured design, illustrating the observation of nature typical of the Chinese pictorial tradition. The scenes depicted on the five panels display significant variations, which sets them apart from the repetitive motifs encountered in European production and made possible by block printing. Our panels are therefore entirely handmade. Wallpapers—with a blue background but a similar theme—are still in place at the Château de Maintenon. Some of the panels show signs of moisture.