Apron
1760–1769
- Medium
- Cotton, plain weave; drawnwork and embroidery in cotton, satin, buttonhole, chain, and double chain stitches with linen thread
- Dimensions
- 200.7 × 104.1 cm (79 × 41 in.)
- Genre
- textile
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
linenfloralcostume accessoryclothingflowersfloral motifsdress (garment)costume - embroideryneedlework (visual works)apron (main garment)costumecotton (fiber)Textilefloral patternsdrawnwork18th Centuryembroideringplain weaving
About
This apron mimics lace in its play of translucence and opacity. Fine sheer cotton muslin, imported to Europe from India, played a crucial role in fashion starting in the 1780s, but in this earlier example the embroidery motifs worked on the muslin are drawn from a traditional English vocabulary of stylized flowers. No ordinary kitchen apron, this accessory would have formed part of an elegant ensemble for a stroll in the park.