Panel (Furnishing Fabric)
1856
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; engraved roller printed; glazed
Dimensions
544.8 × 60.7 cm (214 1/2 × 23 7/8 in.); Warp repeat: H.: 40.6 cm (16 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
9415
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Produced in England at the Lancaster Prints establishment in the mid-19th century, this Panel of butterflies was meant to be cut down the middle and used as borders for quilted bedcovers and furnishings. At a time when shoddy manufacturing characterized textile production in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, this richly colored and beautifully designed panel which was created by the newly invented technique of roller-printing, attests to the high standards of design and fabrication achieved...