40. 40W Exceptionnel ensemble constituant une pièce en papier peint, Chine pour le marché européen, XVIIIe siècle Exceptional set of wallpaper, China for the European market, 18th century Placed on stretchers, comprising thirteen panels, two door-tops and a window-top, with a total surface area of 52.25 m2. Painted in tempera on paper, depicting with chinoiserie scenes of imaginary daily life with figures in various pursuits, set in landscaped and mountainous gardens Total length including the two door tops and the window top: 19,44 m Dimensions of each panel: A. 149cm wide, 325cm high (58 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high) B. 150cm wide, 169cm high (59in wide, 66 1/2in high); C. 107cm wide, 325cm high (42in wide, 127 1/2in high); D. 121cm wide, 325cm high (47 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high); E. 115cm wide, 325cm high (45in wide, 127 1/2in high); F. 118cm wide, 325cm high (46in wide, 127 1/2in high); G. 76cm wide, 325cm high (29 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high); H. 105cm wide, 106cm high (41in wide, 41 1/2in high); I. 126cm wide, 325cm high (49 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high); J. 149cm wide, 325cm high (58 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high); K. 98cm wide, 325cm high (38 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high); L. 160cm wide, 73cm high (62 1/2in wide, 28 1/2in high); M. 117cm wide, 325cm high (46in wide, 127 1/2in high); N. 117cm wide, 325cm high (46in wide, 127 1/2in high); O. 117cm wide, 325cm high (46in wide, 127 1/2in high); P. 119cm wide, 325cm high (46 1/2in wide, 127 1/2in high); Arrived by boat from China, the wallpaper we are presenting is a real technical feat, a homogeneous whole in a remarkable state of conservation. Removed from the room where it had been since the 18th century, each strip was cleaned and transposed onto a wooden frame. Having a chinoiserie in your home was a sign of good taste and perfection; it could be painted on woodwork, silk or paper. It was the middle of the 18th century, and trade with China and Europe was very strong, with pieces being made especially for the European market. The trading posts and the Compagnie des Indes transported these coveted works of art, including porcelain, lacquer panels and silk, to the Netherlands, England and France. Although the French sovereigns, the natural protectors of French manufactures, artists and craftsmen, could not openly display their taste for China in the state flats of Versailles, many Chinese or Chinese-style works were displayed in their "appartements intérieurs" or in their favourite country residences. Louis XV, for example, filled the Château de Choisy, refurbished for him by Gabriel from 1740 onwards, with furniture in Far Eastern lacquer or decorated with varnish, as well as Chinese porcelain, fabrics and wallpaper. France and Holland sent painted scrolls all over Europe to meet demand; we know, for example, that Louise-Elisabeth, daughter of Louis XV and wife of the Duke of Parma, wanted to create Chinese-style rooms at the Reggia in Colorno, so she travelled to Paris three times to acquire Chinese wallpaper and bring it back to Colorno, along with many other items and gifts from her father. These still look good today, although they have been stripped of the objects that accompanied them in Colorno's Chinese room, which ended up in the various Savoy residences between Piedmont and Rome after Italian Unity. What's more, these wallpapers were often reworked to suit European tastes, paving the way for local imitations all over Europe. Commenting on the breakfasts given by Madame de Montaigu, Madame du Bocage wrote that it was very pleasant to invite one's neighbours and friends to a room lined with Peking paper and furnished with Chinese objects. For further reading on the subject see: Emile de Bruijn, Chinese Wallpaper in Britain and Ireland (2018). Madeleine Jarry, Chinoiserie Le rayonnement du goût chinois sur les arts décoratifs des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles (1981) Dawn Jaconson, Chinoiserie (1993)