{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O124677"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O124677/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JU6387/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JU6387/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JU6387","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O124677/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O124677","accessionNumber":"E.695-1937","objectType":"Wallpaper","titles":[{"title":"Psyché au bain [Psyche bathing]","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The <i>Cupid and Psyche</i> scenic wallpaper was produced by Dufour & Cie in Paris as a set of  26 lengths. These would have been hung around a room as a continuous mural decoration, or framed in separate groups as pictures, as with the 4 panels depicting Psyche au Bain (Psyche Bathing) which are in the V&A collection. These four panels are numbers 5 to 8 in the sequence. This wallpaper decoration was designed to illustrate the story of Cupid and Psyche (which comes originally from classical mythology) as given in La Fontaine's <i>Les Amours de Psyche et de Cupidon</i>, published in 1669). Pictures and other decorations depicting Cupid and Psyche were often used as bedroom or boudoir decorations. The interior depicted in the wallpaper is intended to represent a Pompeian style.\r\n\r\nDufour & Cie was one of the leading manufacturers of wallpapers in the early 19th century; the firm specialised in scenic and panoramic designs, especially those with classical subjects. This paper was one of their most magnificent productions.\r\n\r\nScenic wallpapers with pictorial subjects rather than repeating patterns first appeared in France in the early 19th century. They were extremely expensive as they required many separate blocks to print the whole design. The Cupid and Psyche papers are printed in grisaille and sepia, that is in tones of grey and brown.","physicalDescription":"Wallpaper panel from 'Psyché au Bain', the scenic paper illustrating the story of Cupid and Psyche (from La Fontaine's <i>Les Amours de Psyche</i>, 1669); Printed in grisaille from woodblocks, on paper.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lafitte, Louis","id":"A17678"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Blondel, Merry-Joseph","id":"A17679"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Dufour & Cie.","id":"A17680"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"},{"text":"grisaille","id":"AAT53386"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed in grisaille from woodblocks, on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Wall coverings","id":"THES48878"},{"text":"Myths & Legends","id":"THES49005"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2017JU6387"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SM001","id":"THES340772"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"wallpaper","id":""}],[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1816","earliest":"1811-01-01","latest":"1820-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.696-1937","id":"O124678"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.697-1937","id":"O124679"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.698-1937","id":"O124680"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"152.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"57.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions from: Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. <u>Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Lettered <i>Psyche au Bain. en 4 les</i> and numbered <i>5-8</i>.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Full scenic wallpaper first produced in 26 lengths by Dufour et Cie.\r\nSeven scenes from the series are in the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, W.174, 175-1967.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Wallpaper panel from 'Psyché au Bain', the scenic paper illustrating the story of Cupid and Psyche (from La Fontaine's 'Les Amours de Psyche', 1669); Printed in grisaille from woodblocks, on paper; Designed by Louis Lafitte and Méry-Joseph Blondel; Produced by Dufour et Cie., Paris; France; ca. 1816.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. <u>Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clouzot, Henri. <u>Les chefs d'oeuvres du Papiers Peints. Tableaux-tentures de Dufour et Leroy</u>. Paris, 1931."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1937</u>, London: Board of Education, 1938."}],"production":"Full scenic wallpaper first produced in 26 lengths by Dufour et Cie.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Psyche","id":"N211"},{"text":"Cupid","id":"N31"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"scenic wallpaper","id":"AAT37448"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"bathing","id":"x39549"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Jean de La Fontaine's 'Les Amours de Psyche', 1669."],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900'\r\n\r\nFour panels (Nos. 5 to 8) from the scenic wallpaper illustrating the story of Cupid and Psyché (from La Fontaine's <i>Les Amours de Psyché</i>, 1669). The complete set comprises twenty-six lengths; an example is in the Deutsches Tapeten Museum, Cassel. These four panels show Psyché in a pseudo-Pompeian interior, attended by five women, one of whom helps to disrobe her as she enters a marble bath. Cupid leans against a pillar on the sill of a loggia in the distance to the left.","date":{"text":"1987-2006","earliest":"1987-01-01","latest":"2006-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["E.695-1937"],"accessionNumberNum":"695","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1937,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-06","recordCreationDate":"2006-06-05","availableToBook":true}}