-
Design for a roller-printed cotton
Mitten, James, born 1812 - died 1854 - Enlarge image
Design for a roller-printed cotton
- Object:
Design
- Place of origin:
Great Britain, UK (made)
- Date:
ca. 1840 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Mitten, James, born 1812 - died 1854 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Watercolour and body colour
- Museum number:
E.938-1986
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E, case MD, shelf 19, box A
Roller printing developed rapidly from about 1810. As a result the demands of the home market and the export trade rocketed. Because this form of cotton printing was relatively new, the demands of traditional pattern making applied less strongly. Designers experimented with bizarre abstract forms. Literally thousands of patterns of all kinds were produced each year. Commentators in the 1840s spoke of the restless desire for novelty that kept teams of textile designers working ceaselessly. James Mitten’s patterns show a great range of invention. They are very carefully drawn and of high quality.
