European Decorative Arts and Sculpture The Native Peoples of the Pacific Ocean (Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique) Wallpaper Made in Mâcon, France, EuropeDesigned 1804-5 Designed by Jean-Gabriel Charvet, French, 1750 - 1829. Printed by Joseph Dufour et Cie, Mâcon, France, 1797 - 1835. Block-printed, stenciled, and hand-brushed gouache (opaque watercolor) on paper
* Gallery 295, European Art 1500-1850, second floor 1921-43-1d,e Gift of Dr. Anne Mitchell McAllister in memory of William Young McAllister, 1921 |
LabelThe images on this panoramic wallpaper are drawn from accounts of European voyages to the Pacific undertaken in the late eighteenth century by French and British explorers, in particular Captain James Cook, who embarked on three expeditions to this region between the years 1768 and 1779. The Tahitian-inspired landscape is populated by native people from various Pacific islands, shown in their distinctive costumes. The manufacturer, Joseph Dufour, issued a pamphlet at the time of the wallpaper's release explaining that the peaceful, idyllic scenes were intended "to reveal the natural bonds of taste and enjoyment that exist between all men." * Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
