Anthemion Frieze on Arthur et Robert Stripe

This pattern was printed by the famous Parisian firm of Arthur et Robert. (Gouvenier Morris took Thomas Jefferson on a day trip to visit “Old man Arthur’s wallpaper factory” when they both lived in Paris.) A patent sample dated 1799 is on file at the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibiliotheque Nationale; another example the is collection compiled by Patrice Mauny.
This neoclassical frieze installed at Selso Slot (castle) in Denmark in two different configurations. In one, it was printed on a plain yellow ground and used to frame an overdoor panel. The other instance involved the frieze printed over the Arthur et Robert Stripe sidewall pattern; the scallop motif of the border emphasizes the three dimensional volume created by the graduated stripes.