Special Effects

Over the centuries, fine art and design have frequently crossed paths, especially when it comes to decorating walls. Frescoes and tapestries, for example, represent the best of both worlds, as does wallpaper designed to give the impression of a painted mural, an artistic feat which was introduced by Chinese artisans and later transformed by French wallpaper manufacturers.

Having the distinction of being one of the earliest types of wallpaper, hand-painted Chinese wallcoverings were first introduced to Europe in the seventeenth century, when commercial trade between the East and the West was flourishing. Although tea and porcelain may have been the