What does toile de Jouy mean in French?<\/h2>
Now a generic term for fabrics bearing these scenes, \u2018toile de Jouy\u2019 is actually French for \u2018cloth from Jouy\u2019, and referred specifically to the printed cloth produced by Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf (1738-1815) in the French town of Jouy-en-Josas near Paris from 1760 to 1843. \u2018Oberkampf at Jouy was one of the main manufacturers but there were manufacturers all over France<\/a> doing their own versions of toile,\u2019 says Katharine.<\/p> The French obsession with decorative fabrics began when vibrant Indian chintzes<\/a> were introduced to France in the 17th century. \u2018At this time, India was the largest producer of cotton textiles in the world and the brightly coloured patterns found on chintzes, executed using sophisticated block-printing<\/a> techniques, were a revelation to Europeans,\u2019 writes Sarah Grant, Curator in the prints, drawings and paintings department at the Victoria & Albert Museum<\/a>, in her book Toiles de Jouy: French Printed Cottons.<\/em><\/p> However, imported Indian cottons had a ruinous impact on French wool and silk weavers, and in 1686 the French Royal Council of State banned them. The ban was lifted in 1759 and many new factories were founded, including Manufacture Oberkampf, igniting the French printed cotton industry.<\/p> It was Francis Nixon, an Irishman, who invented the copper plating technique that made it simpler to print the large, detailed repeat patterns required for these intricate designs. Before copperplate, traditional Indian woodblocks were used. The English had also been printing toile, and Robert Jones\u2019 \u2018The Peacock in the Ruins\u2019 was popular in 1761.<\/p> When looking at antique toile from the mid to late 18th century, Katharine Pole says you\u2019ll notice the drawing is beautifully done and much finer than later versions. Indeed, Oberkampf commissioned the best artists of the day, including painter Jean-Baptiste Huet, to design scenes that reflected contemporary interests, such as the first hot air balloon flight and Bastille Day.<\/p> \u2018A really rare toile is one of the factory at Jouy by Huet that shows scenes of the stages of printing textiles,\u2019 says Katharine. \u2018I have never found it.\u2019 And toile was never pale pink \u2013 that is the result of centuries of ageing. \u2018Raspberry red or stronger is the most common colour,\u2019 says Katharine. \u2018There is also blue bisque and purple, which is early 19th-century. Toile is typically monotone, but occasionally you\u2019ll find some with multiple colours.\u2019<\/p> Katharine says that the most likely antique examples of toile you\u2019ll find today are small pieces of the fabric, which are usually made into cushions or framed if fragile, or as pelmets on four-poster beds<\/a>. \u2018A bedroom would have been furnished completely with toile \u2013 the walls, mirrors, bed hangings and chairs.\u2019<\/p> Nantes was another important centre for textile printing in France and Katharine prefers these toiles, especially by the manufacturer Petitpierre Fr\u00e8res. \u2018They\u2019re not quite as precious looking. They are hearty in a funny way, always lively,\u2019 she says.<\/p> When it comes to buying antique toile, Katharine says that earlier examples have rougher cloth and that you identify the manufacturer by the designs as they were rarely marked. \u2018The more you look, the more you will notice,\u2019 she adds. \u2018Some designs you come across again and again, while others are becoming harder to find.\u2019<\/p> If you like the idea of toile but find the older versions too quaint, seek out current designs with a modern twist. Manuel Canovas has updated the colour schemes and used bold shades, while designers Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons of Timorous Beasties<\/a> have produced a range with urban rather than rural settings. <\/p> \u2018The imagery in the original toiles was quite sinister, depicting scenes that were then \u2018contemporary\u2019, but we now see as looking traditional,\u2019 says Alistair. \u2018Some scenes showed the factory at Jouy, and workers relaxing and drinking, dancing and womanising. We didn\u2019t change much for the Glasgow Toile \u2013 a glass of wine became a can of lager, a pipe became a rollie, an old man sitting on a stool in a rural scene became a tramp on a park bench. What we love about toiles is that they are traditional designs that have stood the test of time.\u2019<\/p> There are beautiful patterned textiles to suit all tastes and budgets<\/p> At the height of its popularity in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, women of all classes, including Marie Antoinette, hankered for toile de Jouy, but its appeal petered out in the 1820s. However, toile is popular today, both in interiors and fashion. Eye-catching outfits have graced the catwalks in the last year or so, with more emerging.<\/p> Katharine Pole says you can build up an interesting collection of toile de Jouy textiles without breaking the bank. \u2018A small piece of toile will cost about \u00a350,\u2019 she adds. Quilts and bed hangings command the most money, around \u00a31,000 to \u00a32,000. Katharine explains that value depends on rarity, the size of the piece and its condition (fabrics are sometimes stained). \u2018You find a lot of quilted toile, which would have been used for bed covers and hangings,\u2019 she says.<\/p> Buy toile de Jouy sauvage blanket from Dior (\u00a32,600)<\/a><\/p> Buy Amazonia toile large boudoir cushion from Dunelm (\u00a322)<\/a><\/p> Buy countryside morning wallpaper from Wallpaper Direct (\u00a365)<\/a><\/p> Buy toile zen in red lampshades by Berry & Grouse from Etsy (from \u00a318.50)<\/a><\/p> Buy hydrangea candle from Dior (\u00a3380)<\/a><\/p> Buy 4 pieces cutlery set from Sabre Paris (\u00a368.40) <\/a><\/p>When did toile de Jouy become popular?<\/h2>
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What to look out for in 18th-century toile de Jouy<\/h2>
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Toile de Jouy buyer’s guide \u2013 pay the right price<\/h2>
The best toile de Jouy homeware to buy now<\/h2>
Toile de Jouy sauvage blanket<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/02\/Dior-blanket-cb6c15a.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
Amazonia toile large boudoir cushion<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/02\/Dunelm-cushion-9c238ba.jpg\")
Countryside morning wallpaper<\/h3>
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Toile zen in red lampshades by Berry & Grouse<\/h3>
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Hydrangea candle<\/h3>
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4 Pieces Cutlery Set<\/h3>
![\"Toile](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/03\/Toile-de-Joey-cutlery-set-from-Sabre-Paris-772x1024.jpg?fit=772%2C1024\")
Toile de Jouy Metal Tissue Box Cover – hand painted<\/h3>
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