Sjaal van crêpe de Chine met een wit fond, waarop aan weerskanten een veelkleurig patroon van bloemen c. 1910 - 1914

This painted silk crepe de chine scarf, with a white background and a colourful floral pattern, was made by the Wiener Werkstätte. I’m imagining the maker carefully composing each motif, gently layering the paint onto the fabric, coaxing the colours to bloom. I bet they were thinking about how it might feel to wear this scarf. The bouquet is loosely arranged with all sorts of brightly coloured blossoms, and that bow at the top! It’s whimsical, charming. I like the way the flowers pile up—all the different purples, pinks, and reds mixing together, edged with the subtlest blues and greens. It’s funny to think about the maker, probably someone young, maybe a bit rebellious. You can feel their imagination, as well as the weight of art history, pushing and pulling in different directions. They were influenced by the painters who came before them, for sure. But they were also doing their own thing, trying to find their own voice. I hope that whoever wears this scarf feels the touch of the artist who made it. It’s like a tiny, wearable painting, connecting us to each other across time.