The influence of the toile de Jouy style on lace curtain design

 

Toile de Jouy printed fabrics became popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They are printed in one colour and depict scenes from classical mythology or other narrative themes. Many include idealised country views including shepherdesses, Grecian temples, and country pursuits as well as animals and birds. Many companies printed this style of fabric but the factory at Jouy, near Paris, that was established by Jean-Christophe Oberkampf in 1760 became the most famous and gave its name to the style of design. The fabrics from Jouy were a particular favourite of Marie Antoinette. In fact the piece of a bed valance shown below was designed by Jean-Baptiste Huet for the Oberkampf factory, commemorating the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille. It even depicts her and was exhibited at the recent Marie Antoinette exhibition at the V&A in London.

Toile de Jouy style designs have been popular ever since their introduction and the fabrics were used for clothing as well as furnishings. It is not surprising then to find similar bucolic designs used in the production of lace curtains. In the collection of Nottingham Museums and Galleries I discovered several toile de Jouy style curtain samples in the archive of the Ashworth company. These samples were manufactured in the early 20th century so were a product of the revival of interest in toile de Jouy designs that occurred at that time.

This is a good example of the style, with a Grecian temple in the background as well as animals and foliage. In the foreground we can see various musical instruments and a girl on a swing with an admirer, in the style of a Fragonard painting, whose work was popular at the time of the first toile de Jouy designs.

This sample shows a detail of another typical design, depicting girls dancing in the countryside, to music being played by other women with pipes and tambourines.

Another good example of the toile de Jouy bucolic style is this very fine piece with idealised country figures, animals and the ruins of a Greek temple in the background. A detail of this sample is at the top of the blog and shows the fineness of the lace. The delicate shading gives a three-dimensional appearance to the animals and the figures. You can almost feel the skin of the animals and see all the folds and creases of the clothes the man and woman are wearing. I love the little details too, including the way she is spinning and the dog is licking its hind leg. Lace designers find their inspiration from many sources and the toile de Jouy style is just one of the many styles that they have used over the years.