Decoupage
Decoupage is a decorative art form that involves cutting, pasting, and varnishing paper cutouts onto various surfaces to create visually appealing designs. Its origins trace back to twelfth-century China, where colorful cutouts adorned items like windows and lanterns, and it is thought to have evolved from similar practices in eastern Siberia. The technique made its way to Europe in the late seventeenth century, coinciding with a growing demand for Chinese lacquered objects, leading to the creation of imitations by Venetian artisans. Over time, decoupage gained popularity not only as an artistic expression but also as a hobby among the elite, particularly in France during the reign of Louis XV and later in Victorian England.
Decoupage techniques involve precise cutting of designs and careful application to maintain a clean and attractive finish. Artists may use modern prints for contemporary designs or seek out vintage images to evoke historical styles. While many engage in decoupage for personal enjoyment, some create pieces with commercial appeal, each bringing their unique flair to the craft. This blend of creativity and technique allows decoupage to remain a versatile and cherished art form across diverse cultures and eras.
Decoupage
Decoupage, derived from the French word decouper (to cut out), is the decorative art of pasting and varnishing paper cutouts onto various surfaces. Early examples of this art date back to twelfth-century China, where people would create paper cutouts in vivid colors to decorate windows, lanterns, boxes, and other objects. This technique is thought to have originated in eastern Siberia, where cutouts were used in burial places.
It is thought that decoupage came to Europe via trade from China in the late seventeenth century, when Chinese lacquer work became very popular in Europe. This lacquer work was the predecessor of the decoupage techniques used today. Because so many people wanted to buy these lacquered objects, Venetian cabinetmakers began to produce imitations to keep up with the demand. Their work was known as lacca contrafatta, or "counterfeit lacquer." Often, prints of artwork were colored in by hand, then cut out and pasted to objects. Many coats of lacquer would then be applied. The resulting effect imitated the look of objects imported from China or Japan.
Also during this period, wealthy and elite Europeans would hire master painters to decorate their furniture and the insides of their homes. The high prices and demand for these original works resulted in a number of imitations, in which copies of paintings by these master artists were cut out, glued to the surface to be decorated, and lacquered, so that they resembled original paintings. This method of copying otherwise expensive works was called l'arte del povero, or "art of the poor."
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, lacquering and decoupage techniques continued to gain popularity. Decoupage became a favored hobby of ladies, notably in the court of Louis XV of France, where the decoration of small objects and personal items was a popular pastime.
In nineteenth-century England, during the Victorian era, decoupage became popular among the upper and middle classes. Valentines were a common use for the art form at this time. In the early twentieth century, some abstract artists, most notably Henri Matisse, began to incorporate decoupage into their art. Toward the end of his life, following a surgery that left him physically weakened, Matisse concentrated his creative energies primarily on his gouaches découpés, which he considered a form of "painting with scissors."
Techniques
When cutting out designs or images, especially from thicker papers, angle the scissors or craft knife to the right. This will result in a beveled edge, which will hide the color of the backside of the print.
Base objects should be clean and free of dust. Apply rust-resistant paint to metal objects. Unfinished wood should receive a coat of oil-based paint.
Lay the work facedown on a nonporous surface that can be easily cleaned. Smoothly brush decoupage medium onto the cutout design, working from the center to the edges. While still wet, cutouts should be smoothed to remove bubbles and wrinkles. A damp cloth is handy to press down edges and wipe off excess paste.
The application of a finishing coat depends on the type of project. Paper items, for instance, do not require a finish; however, a tray or birdhouse will require multiple coats of varnish. Varnish may be used for artistic effect as well as for durability: the more coats, the farther the decoration will recede into the background and simulate painting. Follow the manufacturer's directions on drying time. Spray-on finishes are available and make coating large objects much easier. Once a project is finished, it can be gently sanded and buffed. Some artists apply wood wax as a finishing touch.
Trends
Current printed materials may certainly be used to give decoupage products a modern look, but the technique is most often used to recall earlier eras. Many modern decoupage artists enjoy recreating the smooth, simple decoupage techniques popular in the 1950s. Others search antique shops or buy reproduction prints that will lend a much older feel to a work, such as ornate images reminiscent of the Victorian age.
Decoupage for Fun vs. Profit
The originality or elegance of some decoupage pieces can make them desirable to buyers. Some artists like to cultivate a highly individualized style, while others try to make their pieces look as if they have come from an earlier time period. Either approach can have commercial appeal if the pieces are carefully made and show an artistic flair.
Bibliography
Buchberg, Karl, et al., editors. Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs. Museum of Modern Art, 2014.
Manning, Hiram. Manning on Decoupage. Dover Publications, 1980.
McGraw, Sheila. Découpage, Paint and Fabric Projects. Firefly Books, 2002.
Rice, Durwin. New Decoupage: Transforming Your Home with Paper, Glue, and Scissors. Clarkson N. Potter/Publishers, 1998.
Sterbenz, Carol Endler. Homemade: The Heart and Science of Handcrafts. Scribner, 2011.
Thomas, Denise, and Mary Fox. Decoupage: A Practical, Step-by-Step Guide. 1993. Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2003.