Plate 8, Toile de Jouy, Composition de Séguy, from "Papiers Peints et Tentures Modernes"
Not on view
Design for a "Toile de Jouy", a a type of printed calico with a characteristic floral motif or landscape design on a light ground, often used for upholstery or curtains, created by Seguy, consisting of semi-abstract baskets with roses and leaves, and decorated with hanging tassels, executed with black shades of gray over an off-white ground. This design makes up the 8th plate of a 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.
