Design for an Embroidered or Woven Fabric of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf," Unfinished
1805â1815
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1914-21-70
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of early 19th-century French textile design with this unfinished drawing from the Fabrique de Saint Ruf, a renowned workshop in Lyon, France, dating to 1805–1815. Lyon was Europe's silk-weaving capital during the Napoleonic Empire, where artisans crafted luxurious fabrics for elite wardrobes and interiors. This preparatory sketch, likely intended for embroidery or weaving, captures the meticulous planning behind opulent textiles that blended neoclassical motifs with innovative patterns, reflecting the era's fascination with antiquity revived under Napoleon. As a drawing in...