Panel c. 1738

This silk panel, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, was designed by Anna Maria Garthwaite, probably in the 1730s or 40s. Garthwaite was a celebrated designer in London's textile industry, and this piece exemplifies her skill. The design is woven in a complex twill, which gives the fabric its characteristic diagonal texture. Floral patterns, rendered in jewel-like tones, undulate across the surface. These visual elements are all determined by the constraints of the loom. Garthwaite would have planned the pattern meticulously on point paper, a kind of graph paper, before it was translated into the woven structure. Consider, too, the labor involved in creating this object. While Garthwaite was a celebrated designer, many anonymous weavers would have been needed to produce the textile itself. These individuals, often working in harsh conditions, were crucial to the luxury trades that defined the 18th century. Textiles like this one are often thought of as decorative art, but they embody the full complexity of design, craft, and social context.