Not on display

Fruits d'Europe

Furnishing Fabric
ca. 1925 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) designed this furnishing fabric of woodblock printed linen for Bianchini-Férier in about 1920. It is called 'Fruits d'Europe'. Dufy was a painter who had exhibited with the Fauves. He began to design textiles for Paul Poiret in 1911. From 1912 until 1930 he designed woven and printed textiles for the silk manufacturers Bianchini-Férier. He created a range of lively fabrics in bright colours, many of which were bought by leading couturiers such as Lanvin, Patou and Poiret.

The vivid, large-scale floral motifs of this print are close in mood to textiles created by designers of the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) and Munich School of the time. Dufy had visited the Deutsche Werkstätten in Munich in 1909. Shortly before Poiret employed him, he had produced woodcuts to illustrate the poet Apollinaire’s volume Le Bestiaire ou Cortège d’Orphée.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFruits d'Europe (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printed cotton
Brief description
Furnishing fabric printed cotton, design by Raoul Dufy for Bianchini-Férier, France, ca. 1925
Physical description
Furnishing fabric of printed cotton in red on a white background. The pattern includes a design of typically European birds, flowers and foodstuffs such as grapes, pears, pumpkins and wheat block.
Dimensions
  • Width: 47in
  • Length: 75in
Style
Credit line
Given by Mrs G. W. Armitage
Summary
Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) designed this furnishing fabric of woodblock printed linen for Bianchini-Férier in about 1920. It is called 'Fruits d'Europe'. Dufy was a painter who had exhibited with the Fauves. He began to design textiles for Paul Poiret in 1911. From 1912 until 1930 he designed woven and printed textiles for the silk manufacturers Bianchini-Férier. He created a range of lively fabrics in bright colours, many of which were bought by leading couturiers such as Lanvin, Patou and Poiret.

The vivid, large-scale floral motifs of this print are close in mood to textiles created by designers of the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) and Munich School of the time. Dufy had visited the Deutsche Werkstätten in Munich in 1909. Shortly before Poiret employed him, he had produced woodcuts to illustrate the poet Apollinaire’s volume Le Bestiaire ou Cortège d’Orphée.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.497-1956

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Record createdMay 4, 2004
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