Jean-Baptiste Réveillon

Once part of a set representing the five senses—smell, hearing, touch, sight, and taste—these spectacular panels manufactured by Jean-Baptiste Réveillon showcase the ingenuity of printing a complicated design in a limited color palette. The design’s draped figures, oversized urns, and geometric ornamentation reflect the continued popularity of classical decorative references in the late 1700s. Ongoing archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii fueled this interest.

In April 1789, a few years after this set was created, Réveillon’s wallpaper factory and home became early casualties of the French Revolution. They were burned in riots by angry citizens who believed Réveillon was advocating for lower worker wages when he said that bread should be more affordable.

More than a century later, when Charles Huard established his own wallpaper print shop in Versailles, France, in the 1920s, Réveillon’s series on the five senses was one the historical designs he reproduced.