Papiers Peints et Tentures Modernes (Toiles et Cretonnes Imprimées)

Author Henri Clouzot French
Publisher Ch. Massin & Cie. French
Printer Catala frères French

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Mixed media pattern book, titled "Papiers Peints et Tentures Modernes (Toiles et Cretonnes Imprimées)" [Painted Papers and Modern Hangings (Printed Fabrics and Cotton Cloth)], written by Henri Clouzot, conservator at the Musée Galliera and published in Paris [in 1929] by Ch. Massin & Cie. The album is composed of 46 leaves, including a half title page, a title page, a 2-page table of contents, an introductory text, and 40 plates, each with one or two designs, numbered 1-40, bound with blue linen. The plates present designs for printed textiles and wallpapers, designed by different artists, whose names are included on each plate. The design motifs are typical of the Art Deco style, which was characterized by its eclecticism, drawing from a variety of sources that sought to combine old European design traditions with the modern style diffused by avant-garde art, while also reflecting the romantic fascination with early Egyptian and Meso-American "exotic" cultures promoted by archaeological discoveries of the times.

In the introduction, Clouzot explains the important of grouping a series of the most recent models for printed textiles and wallpapers, especially due to the need of "original" models in the design of interiors. The manufacture of both printed textiles and wallpapers, he explains, began in the 17th century and developed during the 18th. The 19th century saw the introduction of technological advancements, including the use of leather cylinders, woodcut cylinders, and the "perrotine" in their production. Both printed textiles and wallpapers were designed with similar motifs throughout the centuries, and were intended to "become silent companions of intimacy", but it was not until the 20th century that the two industries came together, and printed textiles and wallpapers began to be manufactured in the same factories.

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