Arthur et Robert

When Mrs Cradock visited the premises, she insisted on the fact that the wallpapers perfectly imitated flowers (obviously, considering that one of the painters working for Arthur et Grenard was Joseph-Laurent Malaine), lanterns, etc., so much so that "you have to touch them to convince yourself of the reality". As for the subjects, she mentions "fabrics embroidered with flowers", "sculptural subjects", a sky in a wooden frame, more frames seemingly made of glass. According to Henri Clouzot, Robert printed plain velvety papers and "arabesques of flowers, landscapes, architectural motifs, busts, antique vases, bas-reliefs imitating bronze and marble, allegorical figures of natural size, imitations of sculptures". Grand Carteret notes in particular "a complete decoration in grisaille, with overdoors, printed panels, architectural ornaments" representing mythological scenes ("Apollo and Daphne after Van Loo, Pygmalion and his statue, Orpheus charming the beasts, the Sacrifice of Iphigénie after Delafosse, the Offering to Pan, Pyramus and Thisbe"). ==Iconography==

Apart from the cross-section of the workshops mentioned above, there are at least two representations of Arthur et Robert's premises, one a quick sketch by Eugène Cicéri dated 1839, and the other one a refined drawing by François Debret dated "between 1800 and 1850". The first one, Rue Louis-le-Grand en 1839, actuel 2ème arrondissement, shows the façades of Arthur et Robert's (on the right) and of the "Pavillon de Hanovre" (on the left). The street in the middle is the rue Louis-le-Grand. Arthur died in 1801, and Robert was probably dead too by 1839, but the name of their business still appears: "Anciennement manufacture royale d'Arthur et Robert". Guillot's name appears too, above, but the shop is now "Béthemont, magazin du bas": a hosier's shop and a factory since 1820. The second drawing is Pavillon de Hanovre. Boulevard des Italiens. On the left is the Pavillon, and on the right, behind the tree, one can see hoses in the shop window of what used to be Arthur and Robert's - above the door one can read "Robert Frères & Compagnie Fabri" - the word "fabricant" is interrupted. Below is the new business name: Fecon, fabricant de bas de toute espèce. We know of one Fecon or Fecond who was a hosier in 1820 and had a shop minutes away from there. He may have converted the company before Béthemont took over. It is really interesting to notice that across the street from this shop is Charles Simon's wallpaper shop. Simon arrived in 1790 or 1806. On the first floor, under an awning, are displayed a few samples of wallpaper. A little further up the rue Louis-le-Grand is the entrance to the "fabrique" (factory). ==Bibliography==