Textile panel c. 18th century

textile

pattern heavy

naturalistic pattern

textile

pattern design

abstract pattern

organic pattern

pattern repetition

textile design

layered pattern

funky pattern

pattern work

This 18th-century textile panel from the Minneapolis Institute of Art showcases a vibrant, repeating pattern of stylized floral and paisley motifs in shades of red, blue, and black against a cream background. The intricate design, likely intended for upholstery or drapery, embodies the Rococo aesthetic of elaborate ornamentation and asymmetrical compositions, reflecting the fashionable tastes of the era. This anonymous work demonstrates the artistic skill and craftsmanship of textile production in the 18th century, and its large scale suggests its use in grand interiors.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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This textile was made in Southern India by traditional artisans skilled in the production colorful cotton cloth, or chintz. Its intricate design resulted from a laborious process of hand-drawing, block printing, and vat dyeing that took weeks to complete. Soon after their involvement in Indian Ocean networks, European traders observed a demand for chintz among elite buyers back home, and responded by suggesting designs to Indian manufacturers so that their goods kept step with European textile trends. The pattern on this chintz mimics silk designs popular throughout Western Europe in the early eighteenth century, but the rare presence of an English East India Company trade stamp on the back tells us the panel was destined specifically for English markets.