Décors—also know as pilaster and panel decorations, or fresco papers—emerged as a major wallpaper genre around 1800.  They were used in conjunction with borders and other neo-classical elements—dados, pilasters and friezes—to create an overall decorative scheme of panels for a wall or an entire room, with the figures framed in the middle of each panel.    As with the Fragonard Months, décors often featured allegorical and mythological figures.

The famous Parisian wallpaper manufacturer Joseph Dufour issued his series of décors representing the twelve months in 1808.   The designs are by Evariste Fagonard, a painter and designer for other wallpaper manufacturers, and the son of the famous painter, Honoré Fragonard.

The first four Fragonard’s reproduced by Adelphi Paper Hangings were developed from the original designs in the collection of the Museé du Papier Peint.  These gouache drawings still have the marks left by the engraver’s stylus as he traced the pattern onto twelve wood blocks through an early type of carbon paper.  While this tracing process cannot be repeated, Adelphi staff carefully studied the original designs at the museum, then worked from exact photographic reproductions to accurately redraw the patterns.  Finally, to insure absolute accuracy, Adelphi staff made another trip to the museum to match the historic colors.   (The alternate colorway is based on colors from Adelphi's archive copy of the 1820s Dufour scenic, Vues d'Italie.)

The survival of these designs offered Adelphi the rare opportunity to work closer to the artist’s intent than when reproducing designs from a block printed image. The process of reproducing patterns is always exacting, but the complex designs for the Fragonard Months allowed even less latitude for variations in alignment or color, making access to the original designs essential. 

Image height 33 inches
Image width 20 inches