Design for Embroidered Overskirt Border with Grapevines, ca. 1785

A pale blue-green ground carries a curving purple band edged with small white dots along the left and bottom. Trailing gouache grapevines with green leaves, purple grape clusters, and tendrils sweep diagonally across the field. The drawing is made in graphite, brush and gouache on paper, a design intended for embroidery.

Artist

Fabrique de Saint Ruf

Date

ca. 1785

Medium

Graphite, brush and gouache on paper

Source

Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum)

Size

2958 × 4000 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum