Artwork

Composition de fleurs champêtres en branches et en bouquets, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle

Composition de fleurs champêtres en branches et en bouquets, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle is a drawing by Anonyme. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.

About this work

Overview

The drawing, attributed to an anonymous hand and dated to around 1750, presents a series of floral motifs intended as design proposals for embroidered vests. Executed on a single sheet of aged paper, the composition is divided into three triangular panels, each filled with stylised bouquets and foliage rendered in a muted palette of pinks, greens and blues.

Subject & Meaning

Each triangular section functions as a separate decorative vignette, showcasing a variety of cultivated flowers and leafy sprigs arranged in compact bouquets. The designs reflect the eighteenth‑century taste for pastoral motifs, translating the natural abundance of a garden into ornamental patterns suitable for textile embellishment.

Technique & Style

The artist employed fine, delicate lines to delineate petals and leaves, creating a lace‑like effect that mimics the texture of stitched embroidery. The soft, pastel hues are applied in thin washes, allowing the paper’s yellowed surface to influence the overall tonal quality. Hand‑written numerals in the margin suggest a draft or pattern catalogue.

History & Provenance

Originating in mid‑eighteenth‑century France, the sheet was later incorporated into the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is conserved as part of the institution’s holdings on historical costume design. Its anonymous authorship and functional purpose as a design study distinguish it from finished textile pieces.