Design for an Embroidered Waistcoat Pocket
1780–1790
- Medium
- Opaque and translucent watercolor with graphite on green laid paper
- Dimensions
- 25.2 × 41.9 cm (10 × 16 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- textile
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
graphiteinkdrawing (image-making)accessories (object genre)gouachewatercolor painting (technique)flowersaccessory - paper designwatercolorfloraTextilefoliagepaper (fiber product)18th Century
About
In the 18th century designs for textiles were often drawn by professionals trained in floral painting. Designs for waistcoats usually show the lower edge of the garment from the pocket to the hem, indicating to both embroiderer and client all of the motifs included in the pattern. Some drawings are inscribed with numbers. Such numbers helped the merchant and makers identify patterns and prices when a client selected a pattern.