Design for the Embroidery of the Right Bottom Corner of a Man's Waistcoat of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1920-36-78
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, created around 1785 by the renowned Fabrique de Saint Ruf Lyon, France, served as a precise design template for the embroidered right bottom corner of a man's waistcoat. Lyon was Europe's silk capital during the 18th century, and workshops like Saint Ruf specialized in luxurious textiles for the elite, blending intricate patterns with the era's opulent fashion. Waistcoats, a staple of men's formal attire, often featured elaborate embroidery to showcase wealth and craftsmanship amid the lavish styles of the late Rococo period. As a preparatory drawing—likely in ink or pe...