Album of designs for embroidery: bodices, gauntlets, caps, bags, page 4 (recto)
Medium
pen and ink; some with wash
Dimensions
18 7/8 x 11 3/8 in.
Classification
Albums|Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1955
Accession Number
55.583.1(2)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite page from an anonymous Dutch artist's 17th-century album showcases intricate embroidery designs for fashionable garments like bodices, gauntlets,, and bags. Created between 1615 and 1635 during the Dutch Golden Age—a booming era of trade, prosperity, and artistic innovation—these drawings reflect the era's obsession with elaborate textiles. Wealthy burghers adorned their wardrobes with embroidered finery, blending functionality with opulent decoration inspired by nature. Rendered in pen and ink, with subtle washes adding depth and tonal variation, the designs feature majestic p...