Presentation drawing of 'La Chapellerie' (Hatmaking) from the Sèvres Service des Arts Industriels, by Jean-Charles Develly, France, 1828

Design for a decorative plate. It depicts the interior of a hatworks, showing men in a workshop steaming, shaping and ironing top hats, the completed ones on a shelf above. The design is circular and has two 'u'-shaped notches in its circumference at top and bottom.

Attribution note: This is a working design. There are two 'u'-shaped notches in the circumference of the drawing at top and bottom that are the same as other drawings for this service. The drawings in graphite and ink on paper in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston have 'u'-shaped notches at four points; on the sides as well as top and bottom.

The notches at top and bottom of the circumference kept it in position while the back was rubbed with graphite to transfer the design onto the surface of a copper plate. This was etched, inked and printed onto paper. The dampened print was transferred onto the porcelain plate. The image of the back of the design shows the graphite that was rubbed over the surface.

This design by Jean-Charles Develly was made in 1828 for the decoration of one of the plates belonging to a dessert service known as the Service des Arts Industriels made at the Royal Porcelain Manufactury of Sèvres France between 1820 and 1835. The design shows the interior of a hatworks showing men in a workshop steaming, shaping and ironing top hats with the completed ones on a shelf above. It is known as 'La Chapellerie'. The porcelain service was meant to illustrate, in a picturesque way, the progress of technology through its application to different crafts.

King-Louis Philippe bought the service and gave it to Prince von Metternich on 16th May 1836.

E.287-2011