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Origin and history

The Musée de la Toile de Jouy is a municipal museum created in 1977, installed since 1991 in the Château de l'Eglantine in Jouy-en-Josas. This castle, built in 1891-1892 by Alfred Vaudoyer for Mr.Viennot, municipal councillor, knew several owners before being acquired by the commune in 1979. It succeeds Montebello Castle to host the museum, due to the increase in the number of visitors and the need for space.

The museum is dedicated to printed canvases produced by Oberkampf, active in Jouy-en-Josas from 1760 to 1843. These paintings, very popular in the 18th century, were known for their floral or narrative motifs, inspired by Indian chintz or scenes of everyday life. The museum preserves collections of canvases, printing tools (wood boards, copper plates), as well as objects related to the Oberkampf family.

The museum's collections are structured around two main types of canvases: floral canvases (about 30,000 motifs) and narrative canvases (about 546 subjects). The former, often used for decoration or clothing, were distinguished by their bright colours. The latter, printed on plaque and then on scroll, represented literary, political or commemorative scenes, reflecting the tastes and concerns of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Château de l'Eglantine, in an eclectic style, was built in 1991 to house the museum, with works financed by the State, the Île-de-France region and the municipality. These developments included the creation of a glass orangery for temporary exhibitions. The museum, labeled "Musée de France", continues to enrich its collections through acquisitions and donations, while evoking the industrial and social history of the Jouy canvas.

The museum also preserves family objects from Oberkampf, Jouy's canvas costumes, and works by artists such as Boilly and Vernet. It reflects the impact of this textile, which has democratized access to affordable decorative fabrics, imitating expensive Asian fabrics. Plans to move to a more suitable site are mentioned for the next few years.

The museum's initial fund came from a former municipal fund that had been preserved since 1867, enriched by donations from the descendants of Oberkampf, including Baron Jean-Pierre Mallet. The collection now has nearly 10,000 pieces, including Jouy's canvases, drawings, printing tools, and competing textiles produced in France and abroad.

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