Artwork

Gilet décor fleurs et fruits avec chien et lapins, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle

Gilet décor fleurs et fruits avec chien et lapins, projets de broderies de gilet, XVIIIème siècle is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Anonyme. It dates from 1785 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. The drawing, attributed to an anonymous hand and dated 1785, is a watercolor design intended as a template for an embroidered vest.

About this work

Overview

The drawing, attributed to an anonymous hand and dated 1785, is a watercolor design intended as a template for an embroidered vest. Preserved in the Museum of Ethnography, the piece measures a pocket-shaped area surrounded by a lively border of flora, fruit, and small animals, illustrating the decorative ambitions of late‑eighteenth‑century fashion.

Subject & Meaning

The composition combines bright blossoms in blues, pinks and greens with berries, leaves, and a modest fence, while a dog, rabbits and a few birds occupy the surrounding space. Such pastoral motifs were popular in domestic textiles, evoking a bucolic ideal and providing visual interest for the wearer’s garment.

Technique & Style

Executed in watercolor, the drawing functions as a schematic for needlework rather than a finished artwork. The artist rendered the motifs with fine line work and delicate washes, allowing the intended stitcher to interpret colour and texture in the final embroidered piece.

History & Provenance

Created in the late eighteenth century, the design reflects the period’s demand for personalized, embroidered clothing. It entered the Museum of Ethnography’s collection through acquisition of a larger assemblage of textile design drawings, where it remains catalogued as a representative example of period vest embroidery projects.