What is a tableau?
A tableau is a facade or wall panel that contains a picture, made for example of painted tiles, natural stone, mosaic or plasterwork. The word comes from French, where it first meant a wooden panel and later also a painting. It goes back to Latin tabula: a board or writing tablet. In English such panels are often simply called tile pictures or tile panels.
In Dutch architecture the tile tableau is the best-known form: a picture built up from many painted tiles. From the seventeenth century such panels were made in Delft, Rotterdam, Harlingen and Makkum, showing scenes, coats of arms, ships or vases of flowers. Around 1900 tile pictures were popular as advertising on shopfronts and in porches, often in Art Nouveau style. Carved date stones and reliefs in brick or stone are sometimes called tableaux too.
A related form is the sectile panel, in which the tiles are cut to the shapes of the image instead of being square.
In practice
- Check protection. Panels on listed buildings are usually protected along with the building. Ask the local authority before removing or changing anything.
- Clean gently. Use lukewarm water, a soft brush and, if needed, a neutral cleaner. Pressure washing, acids and abrasives damage the glaze and joints.
- Keep water out. Water behind the tiles causes glaze to spall in frost. Repair joints and any leaking gutters or copings above the panel.
- Record before repair. Photograph the whole panel and each tile, and number tiles before removal.
- Use a specialist. A conservator can repaint missing tiles and safely reset loose ones.
Common mistake: filling cracks with cement mortar or silicone. It is hard to remove and causes fresh damage.
Related terms
- Sectile panel
- Date stone
- Faience
- Polychromy
- Frieze
Want to know more about building terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.