Decoration of walls in the dwellings of the elite of Rennes, 1770-1790

At the end of the 18th century, after the reconstruction of their city larg ely destroyed by fire in 1720, the elites of Rennes live in relatively spac ious flats, where the different rooms still remain rather unspecialized. A study of estate inventories makes clear that these interiors are abundantly decorated. Innovation is fairly perceptible in the decoration of the walls , where traditional tapestries neighbor with printed fabrics and wallpaper, mirrors of variable size, engravings and paintings, among which portraits hold a prominent position. However, neither the quantity nor the quality of these decorative elements is the same in all social and professional categ ories. Decoration may reflect individual taste, but it is above all the mir ror of very different economic realities.