Musicians in tropical foliage
Unknown Artist
second quarter 19th century
Medium
Cotton
Dimensions
Overall: 102 x 25 1/2 in. (259.1 x 64.8 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Printed
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George Mangini, 2009
Accession Number
2009.323.30
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative collection, *Musicians in Tropical Foliage* is a printed cotton textile from mid-19th-century France (ca. 1826–1850). This elongated panel, measuring over 8 feet long and 25 inches wide, captures whimsical scene of children as musicians and dancers frolicking amid lush tropical leaves. The unknown artist's design evokes an exotic escape, blending playful human figures with exuberant foliage—a nod to the era's fascination with far-off lands during France's Romantic period and colonial expansions. Crafted on cotton, a...