Beschreibung:

'LES INCAS,' A SET OF TWELVE PAPIER PEINT PANELS BY DUFOUR AND LEROY Comprising twelve panels of various sizes mounted on composition paper panels depicting Antenor, Télémaque and the departure of Pizzaro and his troops, the panels: A-95¾in. x 47¾in. (243cm. x 122cm.), B-95¾in. x 35½in. (243cm. x 90cm.), C-95¾in. x 48in. (243cm. x 122cm.), D-95in. x 42in. (237.5cm. x 107cm.), E-95¾in. x 41in. (243cm. x 105cm.), F-95in. x 42in. (237.5cm. x 107cm.), G-95in. x 42in. (237.5cm. x 107cm.), H-95in. x 42in. (237.5cm. x 107cm.), I-95in. x 44¾in. (237.5cm. x 106cm.), J-95½in. x 63¼in. (237.5cm. x 161cm.), K-84in. x 72in. (214cm. x 183cm.), L-97in. x 13in. (242.5cm. x 33cm.); together with two narrow unmounted panels: M-76in. x 9in. (193cm. x 23cm.), N-53in. x 8½in. (135cm. x 21cm.); total running length-46½ft. (13m. 95cm.) Joseph Dufour (1752-1827) is recorded as working at 10, rue Beauvau in Paris in 1808. In 1821, his daughter married A. Leroy, who became his associate and later his successor. The scenes depicted in this series are those chronicling the invasion of Peru by Pizarro in 1531, the story being taken from Marmontel's book Les Incas, ou la Déstruction de l'Empire du Perou ( see N. McClelland, Historic Wall-papers , 1924, p. 322-3). Another set of papier peint panels from this series was sold, Sotheby Parke Bernet, Monaco, 8 February 1981, lot 314; and another is illustrated in H. Clouzot, Les Chef-d'Oeuvres du Papier Peint Tableaux-Tentures de Dufour et Leroy, n.d., pl. XXII and XXIII, and in O. Nourel-Kammerer, 'Papier Peints Panoramiques,' Un âge d'or des arts décoratifs 1814-1848 , 1991, pp. 24-27. (12)