Mural wallpapers

Le Grand Siècle brings back to life murals from the 19th centuries. A way of highlighting the genius of French decorative arts in the field of wallpaper. These murals full of details are the fruit of prodigious creative work and technical prowess.

The murals, once reserved for a renowned and wealthy clientele, have regained their colors and splendor thanks to meticulous digital restoration work initiated by Vanessa Hahusseau, founder of Le Grand Siècle. Lush landscapes, genre scenes, classical and neoclassical architecture and even majestic flowers intersect in this collection of antique mural decors that we invite you to discover.

Alongside the original models, Le Grand Siècle offers very contemporary color variations.

Our historical murals

Dating from the 19th century, our murals are re-editions of antique murals 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 tropical-style and floral murals, murals decors with monuments, landscapes and characters ... 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 mural decors real paintings. They are also all available in black and white variation (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 mural, both in its dimensions, its framing and its scale. Exceptional antique murals which will highlight, in your home, the genius of French Decorative Arts.

The origins of murals

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 hand painted decors. Without a frame nor border, a mural decor is fully immersive. It thus fully responds to the desire for exoticism and travel that affects society at the time.

Creating a mural 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.