Collection Online as of December 10, 2023
Flower Embroidery Design for Silk Manufactory of Lyon
Jean Baptiste Pillement
(French, 1728–1808)
Black and colored crayon on wove paper
Sheet: 22.2 x 24.4 cm (8 3/4 x 9 5/8 in.)
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2019.67
Location
not on view
Description
This drawing features a floral design intended for use by the silk manufactory in Lyon, a city with a long tradition in this industry. Jean Baptiste Pillement’s chalk drawings were translated not only into fabric, but also prints, which circulated and spread his style widely. Here, he used a small range of colors and repeated forms to create an appealing decorative motif.
Jean Baptiste Pillement
In the early part of his career, he worked as a textile designer at the Gobelins factory, and as a decorative painter in Spain and Portugal. He eventually moved to London, where in 1955 he published the first of many books of Chinoiserie designs. However, he was most well-known for his prints of flowers. His popularity waned significantly when Rococo design fell out of fashion at the end of the century.