Design for an Embroidered or Woven Horizontal Border 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
1914-21-65
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate unfinished drawing, created by the renowned Fabrique de Saint Ruf Lyon, France, around 1805–1815, served as a design template for an embroidered or woven border. Lyon, long celebrated as the silk capital of Europe, was to innovative textile manufactories like Saint Ruf, which produced luxurious fabrics for fashion and furnishings during the Napoleonic era. Such designs were essential blueprints for weavers and embroiderers translating artistic motifs into repeatable patterns on looms or needles. As a preparatory drawing, this work highlights the meticulous craft of textile desig...