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1931 |
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Sidewall, Hunt Trophy and Floral Arabesque
This is a sidewall. It was attributed to Jean-Baptiste Réveillon and style of Jean-Baptiste Huët. It is dated ca. 1785 and we acquired it in 1931. Its medium is block printed on handmade paper. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.
There is ALOT going on in this arabesque panel attributed to eighteenth-century wallpaper powerhouse, Jean Baptiste Réveillon. The pattern was executed in shades of pink, green, orange and brown on a light-colored ground. As was standard for the time, the design is block printed, and the panel is composed of several smaller sheets of handmade paper that have been joined together. Two scenic medallions alternate, bordered by festoons of greenery, peacock feathers, fanciful scrolls and nests full of chirping baby birds. The first medallion depicts two grumpy-looking hounds keeping watch over a dead deer, the trophy of the most recent hunt, made known by his suspension from the tree with the hunting horn. Some oversized pink flowers and a curious bird observe from the edges, while a nest with hungry hatchlings is portrayed above. The second medallion features a nice bouquet of orange and pink roses, and seems rather mundane when compared to the odd hunting scene above and below.
Réveillon was a character as colorful and varied as the wallpaper he produced. He was able to establish himself in the industry by using his wife’s ample dowry to manufacture flocked papers beginning in the 1750s. Patronized by the elite of the Ancien Régime, he amassed an incredible fortune which was used to purchase a mansion containing a theater, launch the world’s first hot air balloons, and stock a gigantic wine cellar. Unfortunately, in 1789 his grand property was overrun by an angry mob who were incised by a rather tactless comment made by M. Réveillon in regards to the price of bread. Though the Monsieur escaped to England with his family and fortune, the contents of the wine cellar were completely annihilated by thirsty rioters.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled An Arabesque by the Best.
This object was
donated by
Sarah Cooper Hewitt and Eleanor Garnier Hewitt.
It is credited Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt.
Its dimensions are
128.5 x 58.5 cm (50 9/16 x 23 1/16 in.)
Cite this object as
Sidewall, Hunt Trophy and Floral Arabesque; Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Réveillon (French, 1725–1811); Style of Jean-Baptiste Huët (1745 – 1811); France; block printed on handmade paper; 128.5 x 58.5 cm (50 9/16 x 23 1/16 in.); Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt; 1931-45-6
