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 serv...