Chef-de-piece (Furnishing Fabric)
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; block printed
Dimensions
33 × 83.6 cm (13 × 32 7/8 in.); Weft repeat: H.: 52.4 cm (20 5/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
150163
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Chef-de-pièce (Furnishing Fabric)*, in the style of Jean-Baptiste Pillement, dates to around 1850–75 and exemplifies mid-19th-century textile artistry. Pillement, an 18th-century French designer celebrated for his rococo-inspired motifs of delicate flowers, foliage, and fantastical landscapes, influenced generations of decorators. Though created decades after his death, this cotton piece channels his whimsical, asymmetrical patterns, likely intended as a sample for upscale home furnishings like curtains or upholstery. Crafted from plain-weave cotton and block-printed by hand, ...