Mise-en-carte (Point-paper) 1759

Pierre Huilliot created this 'Mise-en-carte' design, or point paper, as a guide for the weaving of elaborate textiles. These designs emerged in France, which was the epicenter of the weaving industry and a place where sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what, thereby shaping the flow of commerce and self-expression. Huilliot’s design merges naturalistic elements like flowers and grape vines with the rigid geometry required of the loom. Consider the racialized and gendered labor that turned designs like these into sought-after commodities. The weaving industry relied on the exploitation of workers, many of whom were women and people of color, to produce these luxury goods for a privileged class. 'Mise-en-carte' represents the intersection of art, industry, and social hierarchy, capturing the intricate dance between creativity and power, as well as the human cost of beauty.