Button thumbnail 1
Not on display

Button

About 1780 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

During the eighteenth century buttons were mostly used on men's clothing rather than garments for women. They served both a practical and a decorative purpose on coats, breeches and waistcoats. A diverse range of materials were used to produce buttons including mother-of-pearl, steel, glass, enamel and textiles mounted on card. From the 1770s picture buttons also became popular, first in France where they were known as 'boutons à miniature'. They depicted anything from architectural views to mythological scenes and historical events, from portraits to flora and fauna and even pornographic images. They were printed, painted, engraved or drawn and usually mounted onto copper frames with a flat or slightly domed glass cover. As with most other types of buttons they were usually sold in sets of 12, 16 or 24 to accommodate the needs of gentlemen's attire.

This picture button depicts a woman reclining on a grassy bank. This type of outdoor scene or pastoral was a popular theme in French decorative arts. It appeared regularly in paintings, tapestries and ceramics of the period. Although this button is one of a set of 11 it is likely that there were originally more buttons in the set, but these were lost before they came into the museum’s collection. It was said by the donor that they had been worn by a lady when she escaped from France during the Revolution. We cannot be certain whether this was the case but we do know that other surviving examples of picture buttons were worn by men rather than women.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gouache painted on paper, glazed and mounted in brass
Brief description
Button, brass mounted and glazed, painted scene of woman reclining in landscape; French, about 1780
Physical description
Painted circular button, glazed and set in a brass back with a small loop in middle; the painted scene depicts a woman half reclinng on a grassy bank near a pond or stream; she is dressed in a purple bodice and skirt with a white fichu and blue apron; in her right hand she holds a red flower or perhaps a handkerchief; brownish black background.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 3.8cm
Credit line
Given by Mrs E.C. Bedford
Summary
During the eighteenth century buttons were mostly used on men's clothing rather than garments for women. They served both a practical and a decorative purpose on coats, breeches and waistcoats. A diverse range of materials were used to produce buttons including mother-of-pearl, steel, glass, enamel and textiles mounted on card. From the 1770s picture buttons also became popular, first in France where they were known as 'boutons à miniature'. They depicted anything from architectural views to mythological scenes and historical events, from portraits to flora and fauna and even pornographic images. They were printed, painted, engraved or drawn and usually mounted onto copper frames with a flat or slightly domed glass cover. As with most other types of buttons they were usually sold in sets of 12, 16 or 24 to accommodate the needs of gentlemen's attire.

This picture button depicts a woman reclining on a grassy bank. This type of outdoor scene or pastoral was a popular theme in French decorative arts. It appeared regularly in paintings, tapestries and ceramics of the period. Although this button is one of a set of 11 it is likely that there were originally more buttons in the set, but these were lost before they came into the museum’s collection. It was said by the donor that they had been worn by a lady when she escaped from France during the Revolution. We cannot be certain whether this was the case but we do know that other surviving examples of picture buttons were worn by men rather than women.
Collection
Accession number
T.268H-1958

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Record createdMay 20, 2009
Record URL
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