Artwork

Gilet décor de paysage avec guerriers, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle

Gilet décor de paysage avec guerriers, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Anonyme. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. The piece is a paper design dating from around 1780, attributed to an unknown artist.

About this work

Overview

The piece is a paper design dating from around 1780, attributed to an unknown artist. It served as a template for embroidering a men’s vest, a common garment in the late eighteenth century. The drawing is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed as an example of decorative textile planning.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a stylised garden scene populated by two figures in plain attire. One figure carries a bow, the other a staff, suggesting a martial or hunting motif. Surrounding them are simplified trees, blossoms and grass, while a decorative border of repeated leaf motifs frames the interior, linking the natural setting to ornamental tradition.

Technique & Style

Executed in a flat, graphic manner, the drawing uses line work and stippled marks—dots and crosses—to indicate areas intended for embroidery stitches. The overall layout is confined to a folded, pocket‑shaped panel, reflecting the practical dimensions of a vest front. The style combines naïve landscape illustration with decorative border conventions typical of eighteenth‑century textile design.

History & Provenance

Created in the eighteenth century for use by a workshop that produced embroidered clothing, the design remained in archival form until it entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings. Its anonymous authorship is typical of utilitarian design drawings, which were rarely signed, and it has been preserved as a record of period garment decoration practices.