ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History   /  book reviews, articles
 
 

Toile de Jouy, Printed Textiles in the Classic French Style, by Mélanie Riffel, Sophie Rouart, Marc Walter, London 2003, text in english
216 pages, lavishly illustrated with over 270 illustrations in colour
ISBN 0-500-51149-7, Library of the CongressCard Number: 2003103611

Thames & Hudson Ltd London; www.thamesandhudson.com
Thames & Hudson, Inc., NewYork; www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
 
 

press release:
In 1760 the Manufacture Royale de Jouy was founded in Jouy-en-Josas, near Paris, to produce printed cotton fabrics on French soil which could compete with the popular imported ones.
At first, the factory produced polychrome cottons with floral or plant motifs which were intended for clothing. Subsequently, the "monochromes" appeared; adorned with rural, historical, mythological, narrative and oriental themes, they were used mainly for home furnishings. Within a few years, the factory was the biggest of its kind in Europe, and its printed textiles had become widely used in France and abroad. In all, some 30'000 designs were created at Jouy-en Josas through the years, many of them the work of renowned 18th-century artist such as Fragonard and Boucher.
   
 

The authors have drawn upon the rich collections of the Musée de la Toile de Jouy to produce a history of these textiles. The illustrations include original designs that are conserved in the museum, exceptional historical examples of toile de Jouy clothing and furniture, documents relating to their manufacture and to the founding of the company, and examples of contemporary uses of the textile.

 

The authors:
Mélanie Riffel is curator at the Musée de la Toile de Jouy near Paris. Sophie Rouart is researcher for the CIETA (Centre international d'étude des textiles anciens), Marc Walter has contributed to numerous books.


The factory at Jouy, detail, 1807, by J.-B. Huet
   
 


sprays of flowers, c.1798, Jouy, Inv. B983.b


the gardeners, c. 1780, Jouy, Inv. 977.19.1
 


Chinoiserie, c. 1780, Jouy, Inv. 978.1.22

 
the miller, his son and the ass, 1806, Jouy, Inv. 992.5.2
 


love leads them away - friendship brings them back,
early 19th c., Jouy, Inv. 992.4.3

 
monuments of Paris, c. 1818, Jouy, Inv. 992.5.4

 
 
    In the book a list of textile Collections with printed textiles can be found.
As addition to this publication it is to be mentionned, that in Switzerland, besides to the Abegg-Stiftung some other Swiss museums have printed cloth in their collections. There are few publications about them:
Collection of Neuchâtel, Collection of Geneva.
Moreso there are printed textiles in the collections of the Textile Museum in St.Gallen and in many historic museums like Landesmuseum of Zürich and historic museum of Basle and others.

 
 
home  content Last revised 28 November, 2003

For further information contact Anne Wanner wanner@datacomm.ch