Jean‑Baptiste Réveillon (1729 – 1801) was a French entrepreneur and manufacturer best known for his production of printed and painted wallpaper in the eighteenth century. His business became one of the most prominent wallpaper enterprises in Paris, supplying decorative interiors to aristocratic and affluent clients. Réveillon is also historically noted for his association with the Réveillon riots of June 1789, an early popular unrest that preceded the French Revolution.
Early life and career
Jean‑Baptiste Réveillon was born in Paris in 1729. Little is recorded about his family background or education, but he entered the decorative arts trade as a young man. In the 1750s he established a workshop that specialized in the design and manufacture of wallpaper, a burgeoning interior‑decoration market in France.
Business operations
Réveillon’s workshop, located in the Faubourg Saint‑Antoine district of Paris, produced both hand‑painted and printed wallpapers. The company employed a sizable workforce of artisans and introduced mechanized printing techniques that allowed for greater production efficiency and more elaborate patterns. Réveillon’s products were sought after by the French nobility and were exhibited at the Parisian salons and fairs.
Réveillon riots (June 1789)
In early June 1789, rumors circulated that Réveillon intended to reduce wages for his workers, reflecting broader economic anxieties among the urban poor. On 12–13 June, a crowd of laborers and artisans gathered at Réveillon’s factory, leading to a violent confrontation that resulted in property damage and several deaths. The National Guard intervened to disperse the rioters. Although the riots were quickly suppressed, they are regarded by historians as one of the first significant popular uprisings of the revolutionary period.
Later life and legacy
Réveillon continued his wallpaper business after the riots, although the political turmoil of the Revolution affected his operations. He died in Paris in 1801. His name endures primarily through the Réveillon riots, which are cited in scholarly works on the social precursors to the French Revolution, and through the continued recognition of his contributions to the development of printed wallpaper as a decorative art form.