Toiles de Jouy
"Toile de Jouy" referred originally to cloth modeled on Indian chintzes and manufactured by Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf in Jouy-en-Jonas, south of Paris, beginning in 1760. Now the term refers to a whole genre of fabrics descended from that origin and produced internationally. Steadily popular since Oberkampf's day, toiles are charming, decorative, intriguing, and unpretentious. Most are still printed on cotton in one strong color on a paler ground, although multiple colors are occasionally seen.   The author of this survey, archivist of antique fabrics at Brunschwig & Fils in New York, has selected 67 examples from an early 19th-century sample book and shown them all in color photographs. (She also provides a "Resources" section listing Brunschwig, of course, as well as 47 other retail and to-the-trade toile sources, mostly in the U.S.) Patterns are grouped by subject matter: country scenes, classical and mythological scenes, and various florals. Of particular historical interest, a toile designed by Jean-Baptiste Huet in 1784 shows the buildings, workers, and activities of Oberkampf's factory.  (Stanley AbercrombieInterior Design Magazine2002-09-01)