Design for an Embroidered or Woven Border 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
1920-36-7
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of early 19th-century French textile design with this delicate drawing, a *Design for an Embroidered or Woven Border* created by the Fabrique de Saint Ruf in Lyon, France, around 1800–1825. Produced by one of Lyon's renowned silk manufactories, this preparatory sketch served as a blueprint for luxurious embroidered or woven borders, likely destined for fashionable garments, furnishings, or ecclesiastical textiles. Lyon's silk industry, a cornerstone of French luxury goods since the Renaissance, thrived during this Napoleonic and Restoration era, blending artisanal craftsman...