Design for an Embroidered or Woven Horizontal Border of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
1805–1815
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-132
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, created by the Fabrique de Ruf in Lyon, France, between 1805 and 1815, serves as a template for an embroidered or woven border. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum Smithsonian Collection (gift of and Sarah Hewitt), it the meticulous preparatory work behind textile production during France's Napoleonic era. Lyon, long renowned as Europe's silk-weaving capital, was a of innovation, where designers sketched intricate patterns to guide weavers and embroiderers in crafting luxurious fabrics for clothing, furnishings, and exports. As a simple yet precise drawing, th...