Zoffany has long since established itself as a fine interpreter of archive designs and this season makes no exception with a new collection available online through www.fabricsandpapers.com.
Zoffany's endless resource of inspirational historical documents has once again provided the catalyst for a charming and surprisingly contemporary collection of prints and wallpapers inspired by eighteenth century French fabrics. Elegant re-workings of fine copperplate toiles, block printed indiennes and hand-painted silks have been coloured in both historical and contemporary shades and are printed on beautiful, quality linens. The wallpapers range from serenely classical panels to delicate floral trails. The enchanting stories depicted within Chantemerle have been translated in the finest detail, perfectly capturing the romantic beauty of these unique designs.
The Prints
'Au Pied des Ruines', printed in two colourways, is taken from a late eighteenth century French document. It was originally printed in ‘double impression polychrome’ using both copperplate and woodblocks to create the depth of detail shown in the fine architectural imagery, flowers and leaves. The classical scene recalls ancient Rome with the Coliseum and the Pyramid of Caius Cestius surrounded by decorative ornaments such as those featured in wallpapers by Reveillon.
'L’lle des Lanternes', a design on fine linen in four colourways, is taken from one of the many French toiles in the Zoffany archive. The original was a copper plate print on cotton produced in 1786 by Manufacture Petitpierre, a printer in the Nantes area, which at the time was renowned for its textiles. Depicting scenes from a three act musical comedy, the fabric illustrates processions of musicians, palanquins and boats amid pavilions bedecked with lanterns.
'Le Temple de Jupiter' was a fabric sold by the Haynes Chintz shop in Paddington, London during the early twentieth century but is based on a much earlier toile. The design, printed in five colours on fine linen, depicts a romanticised riverside scene; a popular subject for paintings and engravings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries then later adapted for fabrics.
Another design from the Haynes Chintz Shop is 'The Boatmen', printed in three muted colourways on linen. Little is known about the history of this enchanting design but it has a distinctly English feel with its lakes, fishermen and distant villages.
The beautiful 'Coromandel' is a French floral design which exemplifies the influence of imported Indian textiles during the eighteenth century. Originally printed for fashionable dresses using delicately carved wood blocks, the scale and flow of the design make it an ideal furnishing fabric. It is printed in three colourways using a fine, lightweight linen to enhance the delicate print quality.
'Mayenne' is taken from a Zoffany archive document which has all the hall-marks of an 18th century fabric from Nantes. The fine dots would have been printed with tiny pins set into the block and the rich ground colour would have been applied with a heavy wooden ‘planche’. The design recaptures the original characteristics in lively colours on high quality linen.
The exuberant floral 'Bouquet' completes the print collection and its appeal lies in its loose, simple style and intense vibrant colour. Based on a French fabric with characteristic swags of roses surrounding the main motifs, it is discharge printed on two pre-dyed linen grounds.
The Wallpapers
The Chantemerle wallpaper collection comprises large scenic toiles, small whimsical scenes and contemporary leaf stripes. A mix of complementary and matching papers, they work equally well paired with the prints or as stand-alone papers in both classic and contemporary schemes.
'Au Pied des Ruines', taken from the same document as the print, is available in four soft colourways which complement rather than match the fabric. 'Le Temple de Jupiter', 'L’lle des Lanternes' and 'The Boatmen' are all designed to match the prints of the same name. 'Coromandel' sees a witty take on a classic toile with a finely detailed copperplate print superimposed on a floral trail. 'Reveillon Stripe' is a serenely classic design of small decorative scenes in a panel layout, and finally, 'Chantemerle' and its matching semi plain lend a contemporary edge to the collection with an enlarged section of cross-hatched arabesque leaves placed against a patterned ground.
All the designs are available to view and buy online through http://www.fabricsandpapers.com.
