Outstanding Provencal Six-Leaf Folding Screen W/ Double-Sided Decoration c. 1700 - 96¾" x 160¾"

An exceptional Provençal folding screen of impressive scale and condition, comprising six shaped leaves painted on canvas, dating from the late 17th to early 18th century. Each leaf is beautifully preserved, displaying remarkably fresh colors and refined brushwork. The decoration unfolds in elegant rocaille cartouches animated with grotesque motifs, urns, festoons, lambrequins, scrolling foliage, and occasional birds and portrait medallions. Rarely surviving in such condition, the screen is double-sided, with two distinct harmonies: a cool blue camaieu on one face and a warm sepia on the other. Recently fitted with new hinges, each leaf may be removed, allowing the screen to be divided or reconfigured as needed. 

Screens were prized for their versatility, serving to block drafts, provide privacy, or divide large rooms into more intimate spaces. They also offered a decorative presence, often acting as movable architecture that could be arranged to suit changing needs. This example, from a chateau near Aix-en-Provence, reflects a regional tradition in which painted canvas panels were a specialty, often created by decorative painters who also worked on paneling. The restrained blue side recalls the cool palettes found in local ceramics, while the sepia side echoes the monochrome techniques favored in architectural painting of the period. The decoration itself blends classical urns, musical trophies, and scrolling foliate cartouches with a lightness that anticipates the Rococo, showing the transition from late Baroque grandeur to the more playful elegance of the early 18th century.

Today, this screen brings architectural scale and decorative richness to an interior. It may serve as a dramatic backdrop behind a sofa or console, as a divider between a bedroom and a dressing room, or as a striking accent in an entry. The removable leaves allow flexible installation, whether arranged as two three-leaf screens or as individual panels flanking a fireplace or bed. With its choice of blue or sepia, the piece offers two distinct atmospheres: one cool and refined, the other warm and classical, making it both versatile and exceptional.