Design for a Carpet
19th century
Medium
Pen and black ink, gouache
Dimensions
10 9/16 x 10 9/16 in. (26.8 x 26.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Royal Institute of British Architects, 1961
Accession Number
61.669.45
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate "Design for a Carpet created by an anonymous French artist in the 19th century, the era's passion for intricate ornamentation. Rendered in pen and black ink with vibrant gouache, the square composition (10 9/16 x 10 9/16 in.) bursts with floral motifs, evoking lush gardens translated into woven luxury. Such preparatory drawings were essential blueprints for weavers, bridging the gap between artistic vision and functional home decor. In 19th-century France, amid the opulent Second Empire and emerging tastes for historicism and exoticism, carpet designs like this reflected a cultu...
About the Artist
Anonymous, French, 19th century · 1800–1900
**Anonymous, French, 19th Century (ca. 1800–1900)** The artist cataloged as Anonymous, French, 19th century embodies the enigmatic yet essential contributions of unidentified creators to France's vibrant 19th-century art world. Active roughly between 1800 and 1900, this figure—or potentially collective workshop—produced a diverse array of works amid the nation's transition from Neoclassicism thro...