Panel (Furnishing Fabric) c. 1785

This furnishing fabric panel was created by the Oberkampf Manufactory in France, sometime between 1760 and 1843. Printed cotton textiles like this one played a significant role in global trade and cultural exchange during the 18th and 19th centuries. Looking closely, the pastoral scenes and floral motifs present an idealized view of rural life. But beyond this surface, we must consider the labor and colonial exploitation that fueled textile production. The cotton itself may have been produced by enslaved people, then shipped to Europe, and printed with designs that catered to elite tastes. The popularity of these fabrics reveals a complex relationship between aesthetics, economics, and social hierarchies. Consider how this seemingly decorative object embodies the complicated histories of class, colonialism, and the production of desire.