Not currently on display at the V&A

Furnishing Fabric

1956 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Irish-born artist who created the design for this fabric, Louis le Brocquy, was entirely self-taught. Having studied paintings in various institutions, including the National Gallery in London, le Brocquy went on to produce a challenging body of work with manifest sensitivity to the turbulent political climate in post-war Britain. Le Brocquy's textile designs were similarly progressive. The severe forms and stark contrast in colours employed in his designs are visually unsettling and recall le Brocquy's most famous work, a depiction of domestic isolation entitled A Family, which was painted in 1951 and is now in the National Gallery of Ireland.

Le Brocquy executed this design for David Whitehead Ltd., a leading manufacturer of furnishing fabrics, based in Lancashire. The company engaged avant-garde designers to produce furnishings with a modern 'look', throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The design on this fabric was created by mechanised screen-printing, then a comparatively new technology that reduced costs considerably for the manufacturer.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Screen-printed cotton
Brief description
Furnishing fabric of screen-printed cotton, designed by Louis de Brocquy for David Whitehead & Sons Ltd, England, 1956
Physical description
Furnishing fabric of screen-printed cotton in red and pink. The pattern includes a floral design.
Dimensions
  • Length: 77in
  • Width: 48in
Credit line
Given by David Whitehead Ltd.
Summary
The Irish-born artist who created the design for this fabric, Louis le Brocquy, was entirely self-taught. Having studied paintings in various institutions, including the National Gallery in London, le Brocquy went on to produce a challenging body of work with manifest sensitivity to the turbulent political climate in post-war Britain. Le Brocquy's textile designs were similarly progressive. The severe forms and stark contrast in colours employed in his designs are visually unsettling and recall le Brocquy's most famous work, a depiction of domestic isolation entitled A Family, which was painted in 1951 and is now in the National Gallery of Ireland.

Le Brocquy executed this design for David Whitehead Ltd., a leading manufacturer of furnishing fabrics, based in Lancashire. The company engaged avant-garde designers to produce furnishings with a modern 'look', throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The design on this fabric was created by mechanised screen-printing, then a comparatively new technology that reduced costs considerably for the manufacturer.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.645-1956

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Record createdMarch 7, 2007
Record URL
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