Mise-en-carte (Point-paper) 1760 - 1790

"Mise-en-carte (Point-paper)," made by Germain Frères, presents us with a hand-drawn design for a woven textile, a physical manifestation of an idea rendered in graphite, watercolor and gouache. This piece offers a glimpse into the decorative arts and the labor involved in textile production, underscoring the intricate dance between design, craft, and commerce. Consider the absence of the artist's dates; so often the contributions of designers like the Germain Frères are overshadowed. This piece invites us to reflect on the complex economic systems of production and consumption that defined the textile industry, and to think about the many hands involved in its creation. The flowers, rendered in hues of purple, green, and yellow, along with ribbons create a sense of lushness which belies the grid underneath. The grid hints at the mechanization that would come to dominate textile production. The design feels both personal and deeply embedded in the socio-economic conditions of its time.