Sample

Art Historical Context

This delicate cotton textile sample, titled ** and dating to around 1840, hails from Mulhausen (now Mulhouse), France—a vibrant hub of the 19th-century textile industry in Alsace. Produced by an unknown artist or workshop, it exemplifies printed textiles, a classification within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative collection. Adorned with floral motifs, as suggested by its tags, this piece captures the era's fascination with nature-inspired patterns for fashion, furnishings, and export goods. Mulhausen's prominence in printed cotton production stemmed from innov...