Urns and Parrots. Dessus-de-portes in papier-peint between eighteenth and nineteenth century

With their lively depiction of flowers and birds or scenes from antiquity, overdoor panels in papier peint constitute a specific element of middle class interior decoration which is little studied. This paper aims to highlight the use of some of these panels in hand blocked wallpaper at the end of the eighteenth century and at the beginning of the nineteenth century. This review of the main French Manufactures and designers sheds some light on this little known aspect of Western art and design.