Design for an Embroidered or Woven Horizontal Border of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
1800–1815
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-169
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, titled *Design for an Embroidered oroven Horizontal Border of the "Fabrique de St."*, hails from the renowned Fabrique de Saint Ruf workshop in Lyon, France, to 1800–1815. Lyon was Europe's silk-weaving capital during this era, and Saint Ruf was a leading producer of luxurious textiles, catering to elite tastes amid the Napoleonic Empire's opulent neoclassical revival. As a preparatory sketch, it served as a blueprint for intricate borders used in embroidery or weaving, showcasing the precision required to translate two-dimensional designs into sumptuous fabrics. The me...