Fragments of an incomplete cartoon for cotton printing: La Course Anglaise
Classification
textile designs
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mary A. Peoli
Accession Number
1896-16-2-a
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 18th-century French textile with *Fragments of an Incomplete Cartoon for Cotton Printing: La Course Ang*, created by the esteemed firm Petitpierre & Compe. of Nantes, France—established in 1770. Dating to 1789, this design fragment captures a pivotal moment just as the French Revolution erupted, reflecting the bustling textile trade in Nantes, a major Atlantic port city fueled by cotton imports from the Americas and beyond. As a "cartoon" the historical sense, this piece served as a preparatory template for printing patterns onto cotton fabric, a technique revolutionizi...