Printed Velveteen with Abstract Peacock Feather Motif
1909-1918
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Printed Velveteen with Abstract Peacock Feather Motif
1909-1918
Physical Qualities
Cotton, 93 x 97 1/2 in. (236.2 x 247.7 cm.)
Credit Line
The Jane and Worth B. Daniels, Jr. Fund
Object Number
2009.141
The iridescent feathers of the peacock have inspired many textiles throughout the ages, but in this printed velveteen the emphasis is instead on the feathers' graphic qualities, which are abstracted into a striking avant garde design. Despite the modernist tendencies of this fabric, its use of mirror repeats and an ogival grid reveal a French reverence for traditional patterns. These characteristics, combined with a French provenance, may indicate a French origin, as may the inclusion of concentric triangular motifs in metallic gold, also seen in textiles by Louis Majorelle (French, 1859-1926).
Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2009; Cora Ginsburg, NY, by purchase; Paris, France.
Curator's Choice Rotation
Alastair Duncan, Art Nouveau Designers at The Paris Salons 1895-1914, Volume VI: Textiles & Leather, Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors' Club, 2002, similar designs, p. 10 above, p. 230 lower left, p. 238, p. 375.
Inscribed: none
