Floral Wallpaper with Classical Elements

Jean-Baptiste Réveillon was the greatest wallpaper manufacturer of the pre-revolutionary period in France. He pioneered the production of specially prepared vellum papers, made into long rolls, and introduced the use of distemper, or insoluble colors, that would not smudge when being hung. Réveillon produced three basic ranges of wallpapers: expensive luxury papers for the aristocracy; papers printed using 7 or 8 blocks for the bourgeoisie and simple papers printed with a single block in distemper onto a colored ground. The company is particularly remembered for its arabesque panels adorned with neoclassical motifs inspired by recent archaeological discoveries made at Pompeii and Herculaneum. The example shown here was designed by Cietti, an Italian designer who worked for Réveillon in the 1780s and principally created wallpapers in the Pompeian style. The current design shows vases filled with naturalistic flowers combined with classical touches such as small tempietti and classical reliefs against a pale blue background.