Design for an Embroidered Waistcoat, Pattern 531 of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-34
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 18-century French fashion with *Design for an Embro Waistcoat, Pattern * from the renowned Fabrique de Saint Ruf Lyon, France, circa 1785. delicate drawing captures the blueprint for a gentleman's waistcoat, a staple of elite menswear during the late Ancien Régime. Lyon, Europe's silk capital, was home to innovative textile workshops like Saint Ruf, which specialized in intricate patterns for embroidery and weaving, blending Rococo exuberance with emerging Neoclassical elegance. As a precise design drawing—likely rendered in ink or watercolor on paper—this artwo...