Design for an Embroidered or Woven Horizontal Border of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
1805â1815
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1914-21-121
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, titled *Design for an Embro or Woven Horizontal Border the "Fabrique de. Ruf"*, hails from the renowned textile workshops of Lyon, France, created between 1805 and 1815. Produced by the Fabrique de Saint Ruf—a prominent manufactory in the city's silk district—this piece served as a pattern for luxurious embroidered or woven borders. Lyon, long Europe's silk capital, thrived during the Napoleonic, when demand for opulent fabrics surged for fashion, furnishings, and imperial grandeur. As a classified drawing with an unknown medium, it exemplifies the precision of textile ...