Drawing
late 19th century
Classification
textile designs
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Friends of Drawings and Prints with special assistance from Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr. and Phyllis Dearborn Massar
Accession Number
1975-73-1-17
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by Louis Apollinaire Sicard, a French artist from Lyon (1807–1881), dates to the late 19th century and exemplifies the exquisite textile designs that flourished in this era. Lyon, long renowned as France's silk-weaving capital, was a hub of innovation where artists like Sicard contributed intricate patterns for fabrics destined for high fashion and export. Classified as a textile design, this work likely served as a blueprint for luxurious textiles, capturing the opulent motifs—perhaps floral, geometric, or ornamental—that defined Belle Époque elegance. Though the medium...