Design for a Woven Fabric of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
1800â1825
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-13
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing from the early nineteenth century offers a glimpse into Lyon’s renowned silk-weaving industry. Created by the Fabrique de Saint Ruf between 1800 and 1825, the sheet served as a working design for a woven fabric, likely intended for luxurious dress or furnishing material. At a time when Lyon dominated textile production, such preparatory drawings guided the complex process of translating patterns onto the loom, bridging the gap between artistic vision and the mechanical precision of Jacquard weaving. The design reflects the neoclassical tastes of post-Revolutionary France...