Seidengewebe des 18. Jahrhunderts II
Naturalismus
Anna Jolly

(German with English translation of the introduction)

In the second quarter of the eighteenth century European fashion produced silk fabrics with an overwhelming variety of painterly designs. During a period lasting about twenty years compositions with fantastic plant motifs, views of princely gardens and landscapes with figural scenes were created. The silks, originally intended for the court and the higher bourgeoisie, were created in prominent production centres, such as Lyons. With the aid of highly developed weaving techniques most complex and detailed designs could be realised. Today these textile masterworks may be counted among the highlights of European decorative art.

This catalogue is the second volume within a series of catalogues from the Abegg-Stiftung’s collection of eighteenth-century silks. For the first time all silks in the naturalistic style from around 1725 to 1750 are presented here, including single lengths of fabric, larger coverlets as well as worldly and liturgical costumes.

The extensive introduction encompasses various chapters on available research resources, the significance of design drawings, the stylistic development of the designs and the former uses of the silks. Similar developments in other decorative arts are also mentioned. The individual catalogue entries include art-historical commentaries on all naturalistic silks from the collection. Detailed weaving analyses and an extensive bibliography complete this richly illustrated volume

Excerpt