The History of the Senlis Madeleine

Just steps away from the Pantheon, the Hôtel Madeleine de Senlis unveils a private mansion where 19th-century Parisian art de vivre blends with authentic decor. Amidst antique furniture, Toile de Jouy fabrics, and a leafy courtyard, the hotel invites you to experience an intimate escape, steeped in history and charm.

The 30-room hotel presents itself as the private mansion of Madeleine de Senlis, celebrating the Parisian art de vivre of the 19th century. This bourgeois home features authentic decor with antique furniture, 18th and 19th-century portraits, toile de Jouy fabrics, and panoramic wallpapers that immerse guests in the intimacy of a family history. The 17th-century building was constructed in the Saint Jacques moats, which once delineated the esplanade of the Roman forum – the center of life at the end of the 1st century – and is now the Place du Panthéon.

The rooms are small but charming, with exposed beams and half-timbering that give them a true sense of character. The hotel, a genuine "haven of peace," is built around a lush, green courtyard, allowing guests to enjoy urban greenery.

The guiding theme and spirit of the hotel evoke the home of a 19th-century woman of letters who hosted intellectuals and artists in her salon. It features a spacious lounge where guests can enjoy breakfast and make use of its library and artworks.

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Sepia-toned toile de Jouy pattern depicting children and pastoral animals.

Black and white portrait of a man in vintage suit inside an open book.

Blue monochrome toile de Jouy illustration featuring figures near a tree.

Navy blue decorative pattern on a light background showing peasants working in nature.

Red patterned fabric adorned with geometric medallions containing mythological figures.

Detailed antique-style drawing depicting a bucolic scene with ruins and musicians.

The Origin of Toile de Jouy

The man behind Toile de Jouy fabric is Baron Oberkampf. This young German dyer founded his own printed fabric factory in Jouy-en-Josas, Yvelines, in 1760. Due to its success, it was named a "royal factory" by Louis XVI. Originally printed using engraved wooden blocks, Toile de Jouy – a cotton fabric – gradually saw the printing of its figural motifs evolve thanks to frame printing, which allowed for the application of multiple layers of different shades. Finally, Baron Oberkampf modernized the process by adopting the engraved copper roller technique. This was a significant advancement that made continuous fabric printing possible. For the creation of the motifs, Oberkampf surrounded himself with renowned 18th-century painters to create the iconic prints for his fabric, such as Jean Baptiste Huet, who was none other than the king's painter.

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Originally, the genre scenes featured on Toile de Jouy were monochrome. Ranging from brown to grey, blue, or from pink to burgundy, they were printed on a white or ecru background. There were also fabrics printed in negative, with a colored background and light motifs, as the choice of colors was not very wide in the 18th century. The preferred themes for Toile de Jouy were love, art, mythology, nature, and industry, with each fabric design given a specific name.

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