Panoramic wallpapers

A French heritage brand, Le Grand Siècle proposes panoramic and wallpaper designs from the 18th and 19th centuries. A way of bringing back to life the genius of French decorative arts by promoting wall decors full of details, the fruit of prodigious creative work. Enhance your interiors with a decorative touch directly inspired by the most beautiful centuries of French decorative art.

The panoramic wallpaper, once favored by a renowned clientele, have regained their colors and splendor thanks to meticulous digital restoration work initiated by Vanessa Hahusseau, founder of Le Grand Siècle. Greenery, genre scenes, classical and neoclassical architecture and even majestic flowers intersect in this collection of antique wallpapers that we invite you to discover.

Our historic panoramic wallpapers

Dating from the 19th century, our antique wallpapers were designed and manufactured by the Dufour (or Dufour and Leroy) and Desfossé & Karth manufacturers: very famous workshops at that time and contemporary with the Zuber factory, still in operation to this day. These historic wallpapers therefore correspond to re-editions of ancient wallpapers preserved at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. Our workshop patiently restored them over many months to regain their beauty. Their themes are very varied: we find jungle panoramic wallpapers, tropical-style panoramic wallpapers, floral panoramic wallpapers, panoramic wallpapers with monuments, landscapes... Their patterns pay a real homage to nature, to birds (peacocks in particular), to trees, to lush forests, to architecture (the monuments of Paris, Italy...).

The precision of the drawings and the incredible richness of the colors make these wallpapers real paintings. They are also all available in black and white panoramic wallpapers (also known as monochrome or grisailles). Finally, to best adapt to your project, our workshop offers a service of personalization of design allowing you to purchase a tailor-made panoramic wallpaper, both in its dimensions, its framing and its scale. Wallpapers for a chateau style or, conversely, very contemporary, you will have an original decor which will enhance the decoration of your room, living room, office or bedroom. Exceptional historical panoramic wallpapers which will highlight, in your home, the genius of French Decorative Arts.

The origins of panoramic wallpaper

A French specialty, wallpaper developed from the 1750s. It was first in Lyon then in Paris that big names emerged in the field of patterned wallpaper: the Papillon dynasty, François Robert, Antoine Richoud or again Jean-Antoine Ferrouillat gave birth to the first luxury wallpaper manufacturers. Panoramic wallpaper, which appeared at the turn of the 19th century, first drew its inspiration from Chinese mural decors, arabesques, grotesques and flowers. However, keen to enrich their still journeys, clients are gradually demanding more realistic details: the panoramic wallpaper is then adorned with architecture and characters.

A panoramic decor has the particularity of not having a border, it does not require a frame and therefore has the power to fully immerse its viewer. It thus fully responds to the desire for exoticism and travel that affects society. Even today, panoramic wallpaper transports us and stands out for its powerful evocative power. Creating a panoramic scenery requires a colossal amount of work since the decor is obtained using wooden printing blocks that are coated with colors and then pressed onto the paper. In order for every detail to come to life, you need as many boards as colors! For example, the panoramic wallpaper of the monuments of Paris created in 1812 by the Dufour Manufacture required 2,062 wooden printing blocks.

Discovering reissued old panoramic wallpapers

It was while visiting the “Spectacular Second Empire” exhibition (2016, Musée d’Orsay) that Vanessa Hahusseau felt the revelation that would lead her to found Le Grand Siècle. Amazed by the captivating power of the decors she observed, Vanessa decided to share her emotions by reissuing the major creations that have marked French decorative arts.

Since then, Le Grand Siècle has endeavored to introduce mural decors preciously preserved by the greatest museums in France: Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Centre des Monuments Nationaux… and to renew the perception of these works which belong to history. Between tradition and modernity, Le Grand Siècle invites you to pay tribute to the French art of living and to let yourself be seduced by patterns which, without a doubt, will find their place in your interior.

The process of creating our antique panoramic wallpapers

The historical panoramic wallpapers that we invite you to discover come from private collections or renowned museums such as the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Le Grand Siècle surveys reserves, writers’ houses and chateaux in order to unearth real heritage treasures. Each selected work is then digitized. Our workshop works from high-resolution photographs or travels to run a shooting of the largest decors. Then comes the meticulous digital restoration work. We reconstruct the patterns, we fill in the gaps and missing parts, we clean the dirt as well as the abraded or damaged parts. We also take the time to ensure a perfect connection between the strips of each panoramic decor.

Our entire process is based on our desire to respect the soul of the work by focusing only on restoring its splendor. We also want to maintain our creative freedom, restoring each work in order to bring it back to life in a modern interior. It is therefore up to you to choose the ancient panoramic wallpaper that will easily enhance your decor: treat yourself to a dive into neoclassicism, into a Japanese decor or into a lush jungle, let yourself be enchanted by the iconic motifs of the Grand Siècle.

The decorative worlds of our panoramic wallpapers

The historic panoramic wallpaper reissued by Le Grand Siècle highlights key themes of the Decorative Arts of the 19th century. In particular, we have chosen to introduce you to the work of the Dufour and Desfossé & Karth manufacturers, the decors of which are preserved by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Genre scenes, characters and architecture

The genre scene and architecture are themes dear to 19th century manufacturers. Realistic and full of details, the panoramic architectural decor reflects the attraction of 19th century society for antiquity. This is evidenced by the panoramic Landscape of Telemachus on the island of Calypso with its Greek temples or English Garden created and manufactured by the Dufour Manufacturer between 1800 and 1804 and which allows you to observe a temple and its Corinthian columns as well as a gallery with arcades and Ionic pilasters. The architectural decor also gives pride of place to the most beautiful monuments of our capital: the Monuments of Paris (1812, Manufacture Dufour) thus honors the largest buildings in Paris such as the Invalides, the Palais du Luxembourg or the Tuileries Gardens.

Genre characters and scenes are of course present in these historical mural decors. We can even find an exotic touch there, notably with the Native Peoples of the Pacific Ocean, manufactured by the Dufour Manufacture in 1804. Here, the viewer is invited to travel to New Caledonia and discover characters dressed in toga or with feathers.

Plant and floral decorations

Nature is omnipresent in 19th century panoramic wallpaper. Full of details, it allowed society of the time to discover distant botanical treasures. With the panoramic Brazil, we observe fauna and flora. Created in 1862 by the designer Louis-Joseph Fuchs for the Jules Desfossé manufacturer, this panoramic allows you to observe peacocks, parrots and red ibises in a heavenly Mangrove setting.

We also discover Japan and its love for cherry and plum blossoms, peonies and chrysanthemums. Japanese Cranes (1892, Manufacture Petitjean) is a sublime panoramic décor full of details and softness that you will appreciate for its timeless and eminently modern character. The tropical forest is of course in the spotlight, particularly in the fabulous panoramic settings of the Eden Forest Blue, a truly prodigious work created in 1861 by the Desfossé Manufacture. More than 3,000 wooden printing blocks were needed to convey the full intensity of this abundant landscape.