Napkin Depicting The Five Senses
1891
Medium
Linen, satin weave self-patterned by reversing of faces
Dimensions
67.7 × 76.8 cm (26 5/8 × 30 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
74703
Art Historical Context
Created in 1891 by Walter Crane, a leading figure in Britain’s Arts and Crafts movement, this linen napkin transforms a humble household object into a work of symbolic art. Crane, celebrated for his illustrations and decorative designs, often drew on medieval and Renaissance traditions while championing handcrafted beauty against the rise of industrial mass production. The piece employs a satin-weave damask technique, in which the pattern emerges solely from the reversal of the fabric’s faces, creating a subtle play of light and texture without added color or embroidery. The central theme dep...
About the Artist
Walter Crane
British artist, illustrator, and designer.