Design for a Woven Fabric of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

This delicate drawing from the early nineteenth century offers a glimpse into Lyon’s renowned silk-weaving industry. Created by the Fabrique de Saint Ruf between 1800 and 1825, the sheet served as a working design for a woven fabric, likely intended for luxurious dress or furnishing material. At a time when Lyon dominated textile production, such preparatory drawings guided the complex process of translating patterns onto the loom, bridging the gap between artistic vision and the mechanical precision of Jacquard weaving. The design reflects the neoclassical tastes of post-Revolutionary France, where motifs often drew on ancient Greek and Roman sources to convey elegance and order. Though the final fabric has not survived, the drawing itself preserves the meticulous planning that went into each repeat and colorway. Its presence in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, gifted by Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt, underscores how these working documents are now valued as both technical records and works of art in their own right.