Grand Antique French Papier Peinte 4-Panel Screen, the Garden of Armida, C. 1875

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An absolutely stunning display of art, measuring almost 10 feet tall and over eight feet wide, this papier peinte dates … Read more An absolutely stunning display of art, measuring almost 10 feet tall and over eight feet wide, this papier peinte dates to circa 1875. The grand woodblock-printed screen, which spans four panels, depicts Le Jardin d’Armide (The Garden of Armida) by Édouard Muller. Presented as a lifelike trompe-l’œil, the work is exceptional, blending classical architecture with an expansive garden that consists of climbing vines, verdant trees, and vibrant flowers overflowing from a lobed urn.

Produced by Desfossé et Karth, the renowned Parisian wallpaper manufacturer of the 19th century, in collaboration with the French painter, Édouard Muller. The original Jardin d’Armide was a triptych that included a central statue of the Goddess, Flora, within the garden. Presented at the 1855 Exhibition, the wallpaper won a gold medal and was hailed as a groundbreaking panorama. Noted examples of the full installation can be seen at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Smithsonian, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Armida has been a common subject for artists for the last few centuries, with prolific painters such as Van Dyck, Poussin, and Tiepolo capturing aspects of her story. A character in the 16th-century epic, La Gerusalemme Liberata (by Italian Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso), Armida was a Muslim sorceress tasked with halting the Crusaders. Armida became enamored with one of the heroes of the story, Rinaldo, and created a magical garden for the two of them to hide away. Our four-panel papier peinte can be used as a room divider or installed as artwork, either free-standing or hung on a wall. It will surely be a statement piece in any room. See less