Scrapbook of Designs for Embroidered Waistcoats

Art Historical Context

Step into the opulent world of 18th-century French fashion with the *Scrapbook of Designs for Embro Waistcoats* fromrique de Saint Ruf, in 1785. This charming pen-and-ink volume, measuring 15 3/8 x 10 7/16 inches, showcases a collection of intricate patterns destined for men's waistcoats—elegant vests that were the centerpiece of aristocratic attire. Produced by the Saint Ruf workshop, likely in Lyon, a hub of textile innovation, these designs burst with floral motifs, capturing the lavish embroidery trends of the era. In the late Ancien Régime, just before the French Revolution, waistcoats a...