Furnishing Fabric
ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The scenes on this piece of furnishing fabric are taken from the novel Paul et Virginie, written by Bernardin de St-Pierre and first published in 1788. The novel, telling a tragic story of innocent young love, and set on an island based on Martinique, became hugely popular in France and internationally.
Many depictions of it were made in different decorative arts, stimulated by various revivals of interest in the story when it was translated into opera (1791), and ballet (which ran in Paris from 1808 to 1828). The textile manufacturers Petitpierre et Cie of Nantes produced a plate-printed cotton furnishing fabric, first of all in about 1795, and these pieces appears to be made from the same or copied plates, in the late 18th or early 19th century. This may have been done in Nantes, or in Normandy, near Rouen or Balbec.
Many depictions of it were made in different decorative arts, stimulated by various revivals of interest in the story when it was translated into opera (1791), and ballet (which ran in Paris from 1808 to 1828). The textile manufacturers Petitpierre et Cie of Nantes produced a plate-printed cotton furnishing fabric, first of all in about 1795, and these pieces appears to be made from the same or copied plates, in the late 18th or early 19th century. This may have been done in Nantes, or in Normandy, near Rouen or Balbec.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Plate printed cotton, quilted onto a linen lining |
| Brief description | Furnishing fabric, printed cotton, French, possibly Nantes, Petitpierre et Cie, c.1800; Paul et Virginie |
| Physical description | Piece of cotton furnishing fabric, plate printed in red. It is lined with plain woven linen, with a seam and patch, to which it has been quilted in a diamond pattern in running stitch. The four edges are all cut. The central scene is of Virginie and her mother Madame de la Tour embracing. Paul is with his mother Marguerite. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mr and Mrs Nicolas Barker |
| Literary reference | Paul et Virginie, novel written by Bernardin de St-Pierre and first published in 1788 |
| Summary | The scenes on this piece of furnishing fabric are taken from the novel Paul et Virginie, written by Bernardin de St-Pierre and first published in 1788. The novel, telling a tragic story of innocent young love, and set on an island based on Martinique, became hugely popular in France and internationally. Many depictions of it were made in different decorative arts, stimulated by various revivals of interest in the story when it was translated into opera (1791), and ballet (which ran in Paris from 1808 to 1828). The textile manufacturers Petitpierre et Cie of Nantes produced a plate-printed cotton furnishing fabric, first of all in about 1795, and these pieces appears to be made from the same or copied plates, in the late 18th or early 19th century. This may have been done in Nantes, or in Normandy, near Rouen or Balbec. |
| Associated object | T.149-2014 (Part) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.148-2014 |
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| Record created | May 2, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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