Button

Art Historical Context

This delicate watercolor button, created around 1780 in France, exemplifies the refined artistry found in everyday fashion accessories of the late eighteenth century. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute through the Hanna S. Kohn Collection, the piece demonstrates how even functional items were elevated with miniature painted designs. Its building motifs suggest an interest in architectural scenes, rendered with the translucent layers and fine detail characteristic of watercolor technique. In the years leading up to the French Revolution, clothing and adornments served as important markers of social identity and taste. Buttons like this one were often commissioned or collected to complement elaborate garments, turning utilitarian objects into wearable art. The choice of watercolor allowed for subtle color gradations and precise line work within a small format, highlighting the period’s appreciation for craftsmanship on an intimate scale. Today, the button offers visitors a window into French material culture, where themes of urban life and design were integrated into personal dress. Its preservation underscores the Costume Institute’s role in documenting how decorative arts reflected broader historical and aesthetic trends.