Decoupage
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Decoupage (or découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper bits onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf etc. Commonly an object like a small box or an item of furniture is covered by cutouts from magazines or from purpose-manufactured papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (often multiple coats) until the "stuck on" appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work.
Objects using the basic decoupage technique have been found among 12th Century Chinese peasant art. The craft became known as découpage in France as it attained great popularity during the 17th and 18th century. Many advanced techniques were developed during this time, and items could take up to a year to complete due to the many coats and sandings applied. And famous or aristocratic practitioners included Marie Antoinette, Madame de Pompadour and Beau Brummell.
20th century artists who produced decoupage works include Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Template:Art-stubfr:Découpage it:Découpage