In the wealth of magnificent fabrics manufactured at his factory at Jouy in the 18th and 19th centuries. Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf has bequeathed to us a heritage of unique value: our task today is to ensure that we continue to rise to the level of his ambition and vision.

The transfer of the museum's collections to the Chateau de l'Eglantine in 1991 stands as eloquem testimony to local determination to bring together our industrial heritage old and new. so making this museum a place in which tradition and modernirv form a successful alliance.

In the seventeenth century, printed and painted cottons from India first appeared in France. In reaction to the enormous commercial success of these bright Indian cottons,a French embargo was placed on the importation of foreign textiles. In 1759 this ban was finally lifted, and in 1760 the Manufacture Royale de Jouy was founded in Jouy-en-Josas,near Paris, to produce printed cotton fabrics on French soil that could compete with the popular imported ones.

At first the factory produced polychrome cottons with floral or plant motifs that were intended for clothing.Subsequently, the "monochromes" appeared; adorned with rural, historical, mythological, narrative and oriental themes, they were used mainly for home furnishings.

Within a few years, the factory was the biggest of its kind in Europe, and its printed textiles had become widely used in France and abroad. In all, some 30,000 designs were created at Jouy-en-Josas through the years,many of them the work of renowned 18th-century artists such as Fragonard and Boucher.

The authors have drawn upon the rich collections of the Musde de la Toile de Jouy to produce the first-ever complete history of these textiles. The illustrations include original designs that are conserved in the museum,exceptional historical examples of toile de Jouy clothing and furniture, documents relating to their manufacture and to the founding of the company and examples of contemporary uses of the textile.

Toile de Jouy has become increasingly popular among designers and decorators, who incorporate its classic patterns in upholstery, wallpaper, linens and stationery.For anyone interested in the history of textiles or design,or looking for fresh ideas for interior decor, this book will be an essential reference.

Foreword by Monique Le Saint, Mayor of Jouy-en-Josas

Introduction

THE PRINTS AND THEIR HISTORY

'Factory of C.-P. Oberkampf and Company at Jouy-en-Josas fast dye'

  The printed calico trade in France in the 17th and 18th centuries

  Christophe-Philippe Oberkampffounds the factory at Jouy

  The compound: the factory buildings

  The changing fortunes of the factotry

Secrets of the prints' success

  The manufacturing process

  The engraving process

  The cloth:from plantation to salon

  The dyestuffs

TOILE DE JOUY: THE PRINTS

The creative process

 Designers and the Jouyfactory

 Independent artists

 Colours and patterns

Toiles de Jouy: variations on several themes

 Oberkampf and his times

 Geometric and floral motifs

 Genre scenes

 Mythological subjects

 Literary, theatrical and musical scenes

 Exotic scenes

 Architectural motifs

Toiles de Jouy: uses and trade

 Toiles de Jouy and the world of fashion

 Costumes of the Oberkampf family

 Toiles de Jouy and interior decoration

 Methods of sale

 Famous clients

 Jouy indiennes at court

APPENDICES