Fragments of an incomplete cartoon for cotton printing: La Course au Sanglier

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

Claude-Louis Desrais, a French artist born in 1746 and active until 1816, created this intriguing work in 1785. Classified as a drawing, the piece consists of fragments from an incomplete cartoon designed for cotton printing, titled “La Course au Sanglier” (“The Boar Hunt”). Such cartoons served as essential templates for transferring lively patterns onto fabric, a practice that flourished in 18th-century Europe as demand grew for affordable, decorative textiles featuring dramatic outdoor scenes. The subject—a vigorous boar hunt—captures the era’s fascination with movement and nature, themes that would have translated vividly onto printed cotton for clothing or furnishings. Though the medium remains unknown and the composition survives only in pieces, the work reveals the collaborative, often iterative nature of textile design at the time, bridging fine art and everyday decorative objects. Now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection through the generous gift of Bridget Mahon, these fragments offer visitors a rare behind-the-scenes look at how 18th-century artists contributed to both fashion and the decorative arts.